The Comparison of Soluble P‑selectin, Anti‑platelet Factor 4, and Platelet Maximum Aggregation Levels among Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) continues to have an enormous and extensive effect on global health, causing widespread devastation. Patients who have recovered from COVID‑19 have an increased risk of thromboembolic disease. We suggest that soluble P‑selectin and anti‑platelet factor 4 (anti‑PF4) plays a significant role in platelet activation, ultimately resulting in thrombosis. The purpose of this study is to compare the role of soluble P‑selectin, anti‑PF4, and platelet maximal aggregation levels in COVID‑19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross‑sectional study was conducted among COVID‑19 patients who were admitted to the hospital between October 2021 and January 2022. RESULTS: From 160 individuals, we found that a number of individuals with older age (P = 0.014) and lower hemoglobin levels (P = 0.042) were significantly higher in the severe COVID‑19 group compared to the nonsevere COVID‑19 group. Remarkably, soluble P‑selectin levels in mild‑to‑moderate COVID‑19 were found to be significantly higher than the severe group, with statistical significance (P = 0.02). However, there was no significant difference in anti‑PF4 levels between severe and nonsevere COVID‑19 groups. Furthermore, platelet maximum aggregation was also significantly higher in the severe COVID‑19 group than in the mild‑to‑moderate COVID‑19 group by using 2.5 µM (P = 0.024), 5 µM (P = 0.026), and 10 µM adenosine‑diphosphate (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Soluble P‑selectin, an indicator of platelet activation, was shown to be significantly higher in mild‑to‑moderate COVID‑19 group than the severe COVID‑19 group. The maximum aggregation of platelets was also observed to be significantly greater in the severe COVID‑19 group.