Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Detects Persistent Arterial Inflammation After Symptomatic COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Cardiovascular disease
• Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

• Limited understanding of persistent vascular and systemic inflammation post-COVID-19.
• Assessing long-term inflammatory sequelae in recovered COVID-19 patients.
• Utilizing advanced imaging to detect subclinical inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate persistent inflammation in adults after mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
• To determine if inflammation detected by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) persists beyond clinical recovery.
• To compare inflammation levels in COVID-19 survivors with high-risk cardiovascular disease (CVD) individuals.

Main Methods:

• Observational, single-center cohort study.
• Adults (>40 years) clinically recovered from mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
• Whole-body FDG-PET imaging and C-reactive protein tests performed ≥30 days post-diagnosis.
• Comparison group: COVID-19-naive adults at high-risk for CVD.

Main Results:

• FDG-PET imaging revealed increased arterial inflammation in COVID-19 recovered participants (median SUVmax 3.1) compared to high-risk CVD controls (median SUVmax 2.5; p<0.001).
• Imaging was performed at a median of 97 days post-COVID-19 diagnosis.
• Positive correlations observed between thoracic inflammation and bone marrow/spleen inflammation markers.

Conclusions:

• FDG-PET imaging detects ongoing arterial inflammation following mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
• Further prospective studies are necessary to understand the cardiovascular risk implications.
• Highlights the potential for long-term vascular complications after COVID-19.