Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 23, 2025
A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Association of serum KL-6 levels on COVID-19 severity: A cross-sectional study design with purposive sampling
Titah Dhadhari Suryananda1, Resti Yudhawati1
1Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga - Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Background:
The main target of SARS-CoV2 is the alveolar type II (AT2) cells of the lung. SARS-CoV2 evades the innate immune system resulting in the release of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) which causes AT2 cell damage. Krebs von den Lungen (KL-6) is a specific biomarker of AT2 cell damage. KL-6 is produced in AT2 cells that are injured/regenerated.
Objective:
Research that discusses the role of KL-6 in COVID-19 is still being debated and not much has been done in Indonesia.
Methods:
This study was an analytical study with a prospective design on 75 COVID-19 patients who were treated. Subjects were divided into two large groups according to their degree of severity, 57 subjects with severe degrees and 18 subjects with non-severe degrees. The serum KL-6 levels were measured on days 0 and 6. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and independent t-test for data were normally distributed and Wilcoxon test and Mann Whitney test for data that were not normally distributed.
Result:
In this study, the mean serum KL-6 for day 0 in the severe group was higher than the non-severe group with values of 45.70 U/mL and 44.85 U/mL. On day 6, the mean serum KL-6 in the severe group was lower than that in the non-severe group with values of 41.3 U/mL and 41.95 U/mL. Serum KL-6 in the severe group experienced an even greater decrease than the non-severe group.
Conclusion:
There was no significant association between serum KL-6 values on 0 days in the severity of COVID-19.
