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).