Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 9, 2025

Monitoring Changes in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells upon Viral Infection Using Impedance-Based Real-Time Cell Analysis
07:56

Monitoring Changes in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells upon Viral Infection Using Impedance-Based Real-Time Cell Analysis

Published on: May 5, 2023

456

Vascular Function, Systemic Inflammation, and Coagulation Activation 18 Months after COVID-19 Infection: An

Loes H Willems1, Lotte M C Jacobs1, Laszlo A Groh1

  • 1Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|February 25, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Long COVID may not increase macrovascular dysfunction, but sustained endothelial cell activation, inflammation, and coagulation issues persist 18 months after infection. Cardiovascular health requires ongoing monitoring post-COVID-19.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • COVID-19 significantly impacts cardiovascular health, with known effects on microvascular function, inflammation, and coagulation.
  • Long-term vascular effects of COVID-19 remain largely unknown, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess long-term cardiovascular effects of COVID-19, specifically macrovascular and microvascular function, inflammation, and coagulation.
  • To evaluate vascular health markers at 18 months post-acute COVID-19 infection.

Main Methods:

  • Cohort study of 167 COVID-19 survivors.
  • Carotid artery reactivity testing (cold pressor test) at 3 and 18 months.
  • Plasma analysis of endothelin-1, von Willebrand factor (vWF), IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-18, and coagulation factor complexes via ELISA.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in macrovascular dysfunction prevalence at 3 vs. 18 months (14.5% vs. 11.7%).
  • Significant decrease in carotid artery diameter change observed (3.5% ± 4.7 vs. 2.7% ± 2.5).
  • Persistently high vWF:Ag levels (80%), increased IL-6 and thrombin:antithrombin complexes at 18 months.

Conclusions:

  • Macrovascular dysfunction incidence is not elevated 18 months post-COVID-19.
  • Sustained endothelial cell activation (vWF), systemic inflammation (IL-6), and coagulation activation persist 18 months after infection.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19carotid artery reactivity (CAR)inflammatory cytokinesmacrovascular dysfunction

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