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The interplay between lung galectins and pro-fibrotic markers in post-COVID-19 fibrogenesis: A pilot study
Daniela Oatis1, Cornel Balta2, Hildegard Herman2
1Multidisciplinary Doctoral School, "Vasile Goldis" Western University of Arad, 310144 Arad, Romania; Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, "Vasile Goldis" Western University of Arad, 310144 Arad, Romania.
Aims:
COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can lead to serious lung conditions, notably interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.
Main Methods:
Our study tracked the progression of fibrosis markers in serial bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) measurements collected from 16 COVID-19 patients at 1, 3, and 6 months post-infection. Additionally, BAL samples from 10 healthy control subjects were included. Using RT-PCR, ELISA, and immunofluorescence, we monitored molecular markers of fibrosis and investigated the interplay between galectins-1 and -3 and key pro-fibrotic mediators.
Key Findings:
We found increased α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-positive macrophages and heightened levels of αSMA, TGFβ, and CTGF mRNA and proteins at six months compared to controls. Furthermore, galectin-1 and galectin-3 concentrations showed a time-dependent increase and correlated significantly with pro-fibrotic markers.
Significance:
These findings suggest that galectins contribute to fibrotic progression following COVID-19 and highlight their potential as therapeutic targets.
