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A Simple Bioassay for the Evaluation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
Published on: March 15, 2016
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Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as Potential Biomarker for COVID-19 Severity
David Josuttis1, Christian Schwedler2, Guido Heymann3
1Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, BG-Klinikum Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Journal of Intensive Care Medicine
|July 14, 2023
Summary
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) levels are higher in severe COVID-19 patients and can predict intensive care unit (ICU) admission, organ dysfunction, and mortality. Elevated VEGF aids in risk stratification for COVID-19 patients.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
Background:
- COVID-19 involves immunological responses, endothelial dysfunction, and coagulopathy.
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a key mediator of endothelial changes, induced by inflammation and hypoxia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if VEGF levels differ between SARS-CoV-2-positive patients with varying disease severity.
- To assess the utility of VEGF in risk stratification for COVID-19 patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 167 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients treated in 2020.
- Extraction of laboratory values and clinical parameters, including VEGF measurements.
- Exploratory data analysis to correlate VEGF levels with clinical features.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission had significantly higher VEGF levels (535 pg/L) compared to those on normal wards (279 pg/L).
- VEGF levels correlated with APACHE-2 scores and mortality, being higher in non-survivors (637 pg/mL) than survivors (389 pg/mL).
- VEGF predicted organ dysfunctions (ARDS, shock, kidney injury) and mortality with accuracy comparable to established markers, with VEGF > 277 pg/L associated with ARDS risk.
Conclusions:
- VEGF levels can aid in predicting ICU necessity, mortality, and organ dysfunction (ARDS, kidney injury, shock) in COVID-19 patients.
- VEGF may be a valuable tool for risk stratification in COVID-19 management.
- Further research is warranted to investigate the pathogenetic role of VEGF in COVID-19.
