Correlation among baseline levels of tested biomarkers and demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables measured on the day of admission
The relationship of serum levels of cortisol and aldosterone with various demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables in negative and positive PCR groups was assessed (Tables 2 and 3). An evaluation of the relationship of age and clinical variables of SPO2 and mean respiratory and pulse rates with baseline levels of cortisol and aldosterone showed no significant relationship in either the positive or negative PCR group. The investigation of the relationship between sex and basal serum levels of cortisol and aldosterone in the positive PCR group did not show any significant relationship.
However, ANOVA and post-hoc LSD analysis showed a significant difference between outpatients with A and O blood compared with those with AB and O blood in terms of cortisol serum levels. Specifically, outpatients with O blood had higher levels of serum cortisol in comparison to those with A and AB blood (P = 0.003 and P = 0.03, respectively).
There was no significant relationship between blood group type and aldosterone serum levels in the positive PCR group. In the negative PCR group, ANOVA analysis did not show a significant difference between individuals with different types of blood in terms of serum levels of aldosterone or cortisol. However, LSD analysis showed that negative PCR individuals with blood type AB had significantly higher levels of serum cortisol compared with those with blood type A (P = 0.02) and O (P =0.03). Our results also showed a significantly higher level of aldosterone in males of the negative PCR group in comparison with females (P = 0.05).