DOI: 10.1177/11772719231210407 ISSN: 1177-2719

Detection of Inflammatory Biomarker suPAR in COVID-19 Disease With CHORUS TRIO Instrument

Cerutti Helena, Tesi Giulia, Cartocci Alessandra, Guerranti Roberto, Silvestrini Caterina, Gori Sabrina, Bianciardi Simone, Bandini Tommaso, Brogi Alessandra, Leoncini Roberto
  • Biochemistry (medical)
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Medicine

Background:

Deregulation in the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPA/uPAR) system is reported in many diseases where the immune system is activated. During SARS-CoV-2 infection, a rise in soluble uPAR (suPAR) levels has been detected and its concentration above 6 µg/L predicts worsening to severe respiratory failure 14 days earlier, with a positive predictive value of 85.9%, and was the prerequisite for a treatment with anakinra, a recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist that blocks the activity of both IL-1α and IL-1β.

Objectives:

To compare suPAR concentrations measured by CHORUS suPAR on CHORUS TRIO instrument of DIESSE with the commercially available suPARnostic (ViroGates) ELISA assay.

Design:

A single-centre, non-pharmacological, diagnostic study was performed.

Results:

A total of 522 serum samples from patients with COVID-19 were tested for suPAR. CHORUS suPAR resulted accurate and reliable, with a high grade of specificity (97.9%), accuracy (97.3%) and sensitivity (96.9%). The median concentration of suPAR, as determined with CHORUS suPAR, was 6.8 µg/L (interquartile range 4.5-9.7) in patients with moderate disease (n = 465) and 8.5 µg/L (interquartile range 5.4-10.6) in patients with severe disease. Among patients with moderate and severe disease, 60.6% and 71.9%, respectively, reached the cut-off concentration of suPAR ⩾6 µg/L, defining their illness severity and suggesting eligibility to anakinra treatment.

Conclusion:

CHORUS suPAR kit resulted as sensitive, specific, accurate and able to quantify suPAR concentrations in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19.

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