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Updated: Aug 24, 2025

Monitoring Changes in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells upon Viral Infection Using Impedance-Based Real-Time Cell Analysis
Published on: May 5, 2023
Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Protects from COVID-19-induced Endothelial Dysfunction
Evangelos Oikonomou1,2, Stamatios Lampsas1, Nektarios Souvaliotis1
13rd Department of Cardiology, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Background:
Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is implicated in endotheliitis, which adversely affects cardiovascular events. The impact of vaccination with COVID-19 on the clinical outcome of patients is documented.
Objective:
To evaluate the impact of vaccination with COVID-19 on the severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-related endothelial impairment.
Methods:
We enrolled 45 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 (either vaccinated or not against SARS-CoV-2). Clinical and laboratory data were collected, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was evaluated. Subjects without COVID-19 were used as the control group.
Results:
There was no difference in age (64.7 ± 7.5 years vs. 61.2 ± 11.1 years vs. 62.4 ± 9.5, p = 0.28), male sex (49% vs. 60% vs. 52%, p = 0.71), control subjects, vaccinated, and unvaccinated subjects with COVID-19, respectively. Of the patients with COVID-19, 44% were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Unvaccinated COVID-19 patients had significantly impaired FMD compared to vaccinated COVID-19 patients and Control subjects (2.05 ± 2.41 % vs. 7.24 ± 2.52% vs. 7.36 ± 2.94 %, p <0.001). Importantly, post hoc tests revealed that unvaccinated COVID-19 patients had significantly impaired FMD from both Vaccinated COVID-19 subjects (p <0.001) and from Control subjects (p <0.001). There was no difference in FMD between the control group and the vaccinated COVID-19 group (p = 0.99).
Conclusion:
Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 present endothelial dysfunction in the acute phase of the disease. Endothelial function in unvaccinated patients with COVID-19 is impaired compared to control subjects as well compared to vaccinated patients with COVID-19. Vaccinated hospitalized subjects with COVID-19 do not show endothelial dysfunction, strengthening the protective role of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.
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