SARS-CoV-2 virus causes infection which led to a global pandemic in 2020 with the development of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Therefore, this study was aimed at examining its possible role in predicting severity and intrahospital mortality of COVID-19, alongside with other laboratory and biochemical procedures, clinical signs, symptoms, and comorbidity. This study, approved by the Ethical Committee of Clinical Center Kragujevac, was designed as an observational prospective cross-sectional clinical study which was conducted on 127 patients with diagnosed respiratory COVID-19 viral infection from April to August 2020. The primary goals were to determine the predictors of COVID-19 severity and to determine the predictors of the negative outcome of COVID-19 infection. All patients were divided into three categories: patients with a mild form, moderate form, and severe form of COVID-19 infection. All biochemical and laboratory procedures were done on the first day of the hospital admission. Respiratory ( p < 0.001 ) and heart ( p = 0.002 ) rates at admission were significantly higher in patients with a severe form of COVID-19. From all observed hematological and inflammatory markers, only white blood cell count ( 9.43 ± 4.62 , p = 0.001 ) and LDH ( 643.13 ± 313.3 , p = 0.002 ) were significantly higher in the severe COVID-19 group. We have observed that in the severe form of SARS-CoV-2, the levels of superoxide anion radicals were substantially higher than those in two other groups ( 11.3 ± 5.66 , p < 0.001 ) and the nitric oxide level was significantly lower in patients with the severe disease ( 2.66 ± 0.45 , p < 0.001 ). Using a linear regression model, TA, anosmia, ageusia, O2−, and the duration at the ICU are estimated as predictors of severity of SARS-CoV-2 disease. The presence of dyspnea and a higher heart rate were confirmed as predictors of a negative, fatal outcome. Results from our study show that presence of hypertension, anosmia, and ageusia, as well as the duration of ICU stay, and serum levels of O2− are predictors of COVID-19 severity, while the presence of dyspnea and an increased heart rate on admission were predictors of COVID-19 mortality.

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Introduction/Objective The origin of depressive disorder in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients is still not completely known and probably is caused by various factors. The aim of this study is to establish the most important characteristics of COPD patients who have depressive disorder. Methods Eighty-nine COPD patients and 65 demographically-matched referents without COPD were included. All the patients underwent lung function examination, and gas exchange, nutritional status, dyspnoea level by the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale and exercise tolerance were also assessed, as well as depressive disorder by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Geriatrics Depression Scale (GDS) and quality of life by St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results Depressive disorder has been found in 30.3% of COPD patients evaluated by HADS and 25.3% of COPD patients evaluated by GDS. When COPD subjects were stratified by forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1) categorization, all subgroups were more likely to have depressive disorder, according to HADS and GDS, relative to referents with the odds ratio highest (3: 95% confidence interval 1.6-4.9) among those with the FEV 1 < 30%. COPD patients with depressive disorder (HADS) compared to non-depressed patients had (differences in mean values) higher intensity of smoking [6.9 (0.5-10.1)], lower body mass index [-4.9 (-7.2-5.4)], lower value of FEV 1 % [-8.3 (-16.3-1.2)] , higher value of total lung capacity (%) [17.8 (2.3-28.4)], higher mMRC score (1.07 (-1-3.0), and higher SGRQ-giving a total score of 32.9 (24.1-40.3). Conclusion Evaluation of depressive disorder should be considered in every patient with COPD, especially in patients with greater degree of airflow limitation and lung hyperinflation, dyspnoea level and malnourished.

Background and Objectives: This paper aims to show whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity increases the level of systemic inflammation markers regardless of body mass index (BMI) and body composition. Materials and Methods: In total, 128 patients with OSA were included in the study. Examinees were divided into two groups: one with mild OSA (apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) < 15) and one with moderate and severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15). Nutritional status was assessed using body mass index, body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Systemic inflammation was assessed on the basis of plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and serum level of C-reactive protein (CRP). Results: We found elevated mean values of the evaluated systemic inflammation markers (CRP, TNF-α, IL-6) in a group with AHI ≥ 15, although there was no statistical significance. Our research found a significant positive correlation with BMI (r = 0.633, p < 0.001), as well as with body fat percentage (r = 0.450, p = 0.024) and serum CRP values. Significant correlation was found between the plasma IL-6 concentration and body fat percentage (FM%) (r = 0.579, p = 0.003) and lean body mass (r = −0.501, p = 0.013). Multivariate regression analysis did not show any independent predictor (parameters of OSA, nutritional status, body composition) of the systemic inflammation markers. Conclusions: Neither one tested parameter (nutritional status and body composition) of the severity of OSA was identified as an independent prognostic factor for the severity of systemic inflammation in patients with OSA.