Serum VEGF-A levels on admission in COVID-19 patients correlate with SP-D and neutrophils, reflecting disease...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical research
• Clinical immunology
• Pulmonary medicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to significant global health issues.
• Understanding biomarkers for disease severity is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in COVID-19 patients.
• To assess the association of VEGF-A with COVID-19 severity and pulmonary injury.

Main Methods:

• Prospective data collection from 71 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• Classification of patients into mild or severe groups based on oxygen requirements.
• Measurement of serum VEGF-A levels using ELISA kits.

Main Results:

• Severe COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly higher serum VEGF-A levels compared to mild cases.
• VEGF-A levels positively correlated with white blood cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts.
• Elevated VEGF-A was associated with higher serum surfactant protein-D (SP-D) levels, indicating alveolar epithelial cell damage.

Conclusions:

• Elevated serum VEGF-A may serve as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19, indicating SARS-CoV-2-induced alveolar epithelial cell injury.
• A correlation between VEGF-A and neutrophil activation suggests potential involvement of angiogenesis in disease progression.
• Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms behind VEGF-A elevation in COVID-19.