Association between pancreatic lipase levels and coronavirus disease 2019

Aims: Elevated pancreatic enzyme can be observed in the course of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we aimed to determine the frequency of lipase elevation in the course of COVID-19 and examine its effect on disease outcomes. Methods: Of 42742 patients with the positivity of SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR), 3167 undergoing lipase tests were included. The relationship between patients’ clinical features, development of acute pancreatitis (AP), and mortality rates was investigated. Results: Higher lipase levels than normal limits were found in 399 (12.6%) patients. Lipase levels were three times higher than the normal limit in 119 (3.8%) patients; compared to the rest of the patients, patients’ age (62.8±17.9 vs 52.1±17.9 years, p