Investigating the Role of Immune Response Markers in Predicting Severity and Prognosis in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study from the ASL1 Emergency Department

This retrospective observational study aimed to explore the relationship between immune markers and COVID-19 severity in patients admitted to the emergency department of ALS1 in the Liguria region. By examining the correlation between various immune markers and disease progression, the study seeks to enhance our understanding of how immune responses influence the severity of COVID-19 in this specific patient cohort. We evaluated T-cell reactivity (Coviferon test), IgM and IgG antibody levels, CRP levels, and lymphocyte counts into four severity categories (mild, moderate, severe, and critical). Critically ill patients demonstrated no IFN-γ production, while IgG levels were notably higher in vaccinated patients with mild to moderate disease. Elevated CRP levels correlated strongly with disease severity, and lymphopenia was most prominent in the critical group. These immune markers—IFN-γ, CRP, and lymphocyte counts—may provide valuable prognostic information and could be integrated into clinical practice for early detection and management, especially as new SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge. Furthermore, these markers hold potential for the development of predictive diagnostic immunological models that could be adapted for future viral pandemics. Despite the study’s small sample size and retrospective design, which limit the generalizability of the results, our findings contribute to understanding the immunological landscape of COVID 19. Larger, multicenter studies are necessary to validate and further refine these observations for broader clinical application.