Biomarkers of tissue remodelling are elevated in serum of COVID-19 patients who develop interstitial lung disease - an exploratory biomarker study

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Documents

  • Fulltext

    Final published version, 1.65 MB, PDF document

  • Breisnes, Helene Wallem
  • Diana Julie Leeming
  • Morten Asser Karsdal
  • Hannah Burke
  • Anna Freeman
  • Tom Wilkinson
  • Aishath Fazleen
  • Jannie Marie Bülow Sand

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral pneumonia that can result in serious respiratory illness. It is associated with extensive systemic inflammation, changes to the lung extracellular matrix, and long-term lung impairment such as interstitial lung disease (ILD). In this study, the aim was to investigate whether tissue remodelling, wound healing, and neutrophil activity is altered in patients with COVID-19 and how these relate to the development of post-COVID ILD. Method: Serum samples were collected from 63 patients three months after discharge as part of the Research Evaluation Alongside Clinical Treatment study in COVID-19 (REACT COVID-19), 10 of whom developed ILD, and 16 healthy controls. Samples were quantified using neo-epitope specific biomarkers reflecting tissue stiffness and formation (PC3X, PRO-C3, and PRO-C6), tissue degradation (C1M, C3M, and C6M), wound healing (PRO-FIB and X-FIB), and neutrophil activity (CPa9-HNE and ELP-3). Results: Mean serum levels of PC3X (p < 0.0001), PRO-C3 (p = 0.002), C3M (p = 0.009), PRO-FIB (p < 0.0001), CPa9-HNE (p < 0.0001), and ELP-3 (p < 0.0001) were significantly elevated in patients with COVID-19 compared to healthy controls. Moreover, PC3X (p = 0.023) and PRO-C3 (p = 0.032) were significantly elevated in post-COVID ILD as compared to COVID-19. Conclusion: Serological biomarkers reflecting type III collagen remodelling, clot formation, and neutrophil activity were significantly elevated in COVID-19 and type III collagen formation markers were further elevated in post-COVID ILD. The findings suggest an increased type III collagen remodelling in COVID-19 and warrants further investigations to assess the potential of tissue remodelling biomarkers as a tool to identify COVID-19 patients at high risk of developing ILD.

Original languageEnglish
Article number331
JournalBMC Pulmonary Medicine
Volume24
Issue number1
Number of pages10
ISSN1471-2466
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

    Research areas

  • Biomarker, Collagen, COVID-19, Extracellular matrix, ILD, Neutrophil activity

ID: 399108406