tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Cytokine
. 2024 Mar 29:178:156583.
doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2024.156583. Online ahead of print. Serum VEGF-A levels on admission in COVID-19 patients correlate with SP-D and neutrophils, reflecting disease severity: A prospective study
Mayoko Tsuji[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mitsuko Kondo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yasuto Sato[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Azusa Miyoshi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Fumi Kobayashi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ken Arimura[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kaoru Yamashita[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Satoshi Morimoto[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Naoko Yanagisawa[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Atsuhiro Ichihara[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Etsuko Tagaya[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background and objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in significant global morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in COVID-19 patients and its association with disease severity and pulmonary injury.
Methods: We prospectively collected data from 71 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between June 2020 and January 2021. Patients were classified as either mild or severe based on their oxygen requirements during hospitalization. Serum VEGF-A levels were measured using an ELISA kit.
Results: In comparison to mild cases, significantly elevated serum VEGF-A levels were observed in severe COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, VEGF-A levels exhibited a positive correlation with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count. Notably, serum surfactant protein-D (SP-D), an indicator of alveolar epithelial cell damage, was significantly higher in patients with elevated VEGF-A levels.
Conclusion: These results suggest that elevated serum VEGF-A levels could serve as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 as it is indicative of alveolar epithelial cell injury caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, we observed a correlation between VEGF-A and neutrophil activation, which plays a role in the immune response during endothelial cell injury, indicating a potential involvement of angiogenesis in disease progression. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of VEGF-A elevation in COVID-19.
Keywords: Angiogenesis; Lung; Neutrophil activation; SP-D; VEGF-A.
. 2024 Mar 29:178:156583.
doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2024.156583. Online ahead of print. Serum VEGF-A levels on admission in COVID-19 patients correlate with SP-D and neutrophils, reflecting disease severity: A prospective study
Mayoko Tsuji[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mitsuko Kondo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yasuto Sato[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Azusa Miyoshi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Fumi Kobayashi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ken Arimura[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kaoru Yamashita[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Satoshi Morimoto[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Naoko Yanagisawa[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Atsuhiro Ichihara[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Etsuko Tagaya[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38554499
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2024.156583
Background and objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in significant global morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in COVID-19 patients and its association with disease severity and pulmonary injury.
Methods: We prospectively collected data from 71 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between June 2020 and January 2021. Patients were classified as either mild or severe based on their oxygen requirements during hospitalization. Serum VEGF-A levels were measured using an ELISA kit.
Results: In comparison to mild cases, significantly elevated serum VEGF-A levels were observed in severe COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, VEGF-A levels exhibited a positive correlation with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count. Notably, serum surfactant protein-D (SP-D), an indicator of alveolar epithelial cell damage, was significantly higher in patients with elevated VEGF-A levels.
Conclusion: These results suggest that elevated serum VEGF-A levels could serve as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 as it is indicative of alveolar epithelial cell injury caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, we observed a correlation between VEGF-A and neutrophil activation, which plays a role in the immune response during endothelial cell injury, indicating a potential involvement of angiogenesis in disease progression. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of VEGF-A elevation in COVID-19.
Keywords: Angiogenesis; Lung; Neutrophil activation; SP-D; VEGF-A.