Different Types of Biomarkers and Their Significance - Genes2Me
The doctor may advise you to get RT-PCR or antigen tests to confirm Covid-19 infection as soon as the first symptoms appear. If you have been advised to isolate at home or take hospital care, it is mandatory that you undertake the COVID Monitoring Profile test. This health test displays your various biomarkers to decide the line of treatment and prognosis of the disease. The covid monitoring test is the blood that examines various biomarkers like CBC, CRP, D Dimer, LDH, IL6, LFT, RFT, and Blood sugar. Let’s see what the different types of tests discussed here are:
CBC
CBC or CBP signifies complete blood count/picture. Any quantitative and morphological changes in blood cells, including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets(thrombocytes), are detected by the test. The doctor can decide on the furthering of treatment depending on the numeric (quantity) and morphological(form/shape) changes in blood cells. The COVID Monitoring Profile Test's tells the doctor about the severity of the infection in your body.
CRP
C-Reactive protein test is a protein molecule synthesis in the liver. When an inflammation or infection increases in blood, the CRP levels increase in response to it. The CRP levels are usually mildly elevated in chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid and infectious arthritis. It also occurs due to severely elevated acute bacterial/viral/fungal infections.
D DIMER
Due to the natural anti-clotting mechanism the body, the blood does not clot inside the vessels. But as soon as there is trauma to the vessels, a blood clot occurs to stop the loss. But, if clotting starts occurring inside the blood vessels, the clot breaking mechanism activates to maintain normal flow. As a result, the clot degradation products start to form that clears off in a short time.
Excessive clot formation inside the vessels can be caused to diseases and infections. In response, clot breaking occurs. As the clot breaks, there are abnormally high levels of clot degradation products. These clots may get stuck in smaller vessels leading to sudden death. D-Dimerism one of the by-products of the clot. Elevated D-dimer levels indicate excessive clotting inside the body, and you may need anticoagulant (blood thinner) drugs. The Corona Monitoring Profile Test displays the levels of D-Dimer.
LDH
Lactate Dehydrogenase is an enzyme that is useful in turning sugar into energy in the body. If there is some infection or damage to the cells due to infection or disease, then there is an increase in blood level. Sometimes, the level also rises due to strenuous workouts. Each organ has specific levels of LDH. Therefore, different types of LDH provide us with information regarding the damage to that particular organ which helps in monitoring the severity of coronavirus infection. Hence, detection of LDH helps in early diagnosis and better treatment.
IL6
Interleukins-6 is a protein produced by various cells that is released to regulate the body’s immune system. The COVID Monitoring Profile detects the level of IL6. If there is an increase IN level, it indicates inflammation in response to ongoing infection. However, it is a non-specific marker as its level increases in many inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. A high level of IL6 signifies more inflammation. This means that you may need an anti-inflammatory drug like steroids to protect the host cell.
PRO-CALCITONIN TEST (PCT)
PRO-CALCITONIN TEST (PCT) is a blood-based biomarker test that helps identify a patient’s response to bacterial infection. If you have a covid-19 infection, then PCT may increase 3-6 hours after bacterial co-infection and peak after 12-24 hours. It will also rapidly decrease once the infection begins to subside. The PCT tests help in detecting the secondary bacterial infection and progression of the disease. The COVID Monitoring Profile Test also helps determine whether the WBC count has been increased due to steroids or bacterial co-infection.
The test is an important tool that helps IN deciding which patient may need antibiotics. This may prevent unnecessary overuse of antibiotics which leads to increased adverse events. However, recent studies have shown that PCT is a strong predictor of severity and poorer outcome.
