Could SP-A and SP-D Serum Levels Predict COVID-19 Severity?

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents diverse clinical symptoms, necessitating prognostic biomarkers.
• Surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) are collectins vital for alveolar function, with altered levels in lung diseases like ARDS and fibrosis.
• COVID-19 can lead to ARDS and pulmonary fibrosis, suggesting SP-A and SP-D roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of serum SP-A and SP-D as prognostic markers in COVID-19.
• To compare SP-A and SP-D levels in COVID-19 patients versus healthy controls.
• To correlate SP-A and SP-D levels with COVID-19 disease severity.

Main Methods:

• Serum levels of SP-A and SP-D were measured using enzyme immunoassay.
• Measurements were taken at admission (T0) and seven days later (T1) in 51 COVID-19 patients.
• Levels were compared to those of 11 healthy donors and stratified by disease severity.

Main Results:

• Serum SP-D levels were elevated in COVID-19 patients at T0 compared to controls, decreasing significantly by T1.
• Severe COVID-19 cases showed higher serum SP-D levels than mild cases.
• No significant changes were observed for SP-A levels.

Conclusions:

• Serum SP-D, not SP-A, appears to be a promising biomarker for COVID-19 pneumonia.
• Early monitoring of serum SP-D levels could be critical for proactive clinical management of COVID-19 patients.