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Kuchler T, Günthner R, Ribeiro A, Hausinger R, Streese L, Wöhnl A, Kesseler V, Negele J, Assali T, Carbajo-Lozoya J, Lech M, Schneider H, Adorjan K, Stubbe HC, Hanssen H, Kotilar K, Haller B, Heemann U, Schmaderer C. Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and chronic inflammation. Angiogenesis 2023; 26:547-563. [PMID: 37507580 PMCID: PMC10542303 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-023-09885-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a lingering disease with ongoing symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment resulting in a high impact on the daily life of patients. Understanding the pathophysiology of PCS is a public health priority, as it still poses a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians. METHODS In this prospective observational cohort study, we analyzed the retinal microcirculation using Retinal Vessel Analysis (RVA) in a cohort of patients with PCS and compared it to an age- and gender-matched healthy cohort (n = 41, matched out of n = 204). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS PCS patients exhibit persistent endothelial dysfunction (ED), as indicated by significantly lower venular flicker-induced dilation (vFID; 3.42% ± 1.77% vs. 4.64% ± 2.59%; p = 0.02), narrower central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE; 178.1 [167.5-190.2] vs. 189.1 [179.4-197.2], p = 0.01) and lower arteriolar-venular ratio (AVR; (0.84 [0.8-0.9] vs. 0.88 [0.8-0.9], p = 0.007). When combining AVR and vFID, predicted scores reached good ability to discriminate groups (area under the curve: 0.75). Higher PCS severity scores correlated with lower AVR (R = - 0.37 p = 0.017). The association of microvascular changes with PCS severity were amplified in PCS patients exhibiting higher levels of inflammatory parameters. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that prolonged endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of PCS, and impairments of the microcirculation seem to explain ongoing symptoms in patients. As potential therapies for PCS emerge, RVA parameters may become relevant as clinical biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy management. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was previously registered at ClinicalTrials ("All Eyes on PCS-Analysis of the Retinal Microvasculature in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome". NCT05635552. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05635552 ). Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome. Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection indirectly or directly causes endotheliitis in patients. N = 41 PCS patients were recruited and retinal vessel analysis was performed to assess microvascular endothelial function. Images of SVA and DVA are illustrative for RVA data analysis. For each PCS patient and healthy cohort, venular vessel diameter of the three measurement cycles was calculated and plotted on a diameter-time curve. Patients exhibited reduced flicker-induced dilation in veins (vFID) measured by dynamic vessel analysis (DVA) and lower central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and arteriolar-venular ratio (AVR) and a tendency towards higher central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) when compared to SARS-CoV-2 infection naïve participants. Created with BioRender.com.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timon Kuchler
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Roman Günthner
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Ribeiro
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
- Medizinische Klinik Und Poliklinik IV, LMU University Hospital Munich, Ziemssenstraße 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Renate Hausinger
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Lukas Streese
- Faculty of Health Care, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld, Germany
| | - Anna Wöhnl
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Veronika Kesseler
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Johanna Negele
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Tarek Assali
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Javier Carbajo-Lozoya
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Maciej Lech
- Medizinische Klinik Und Poliklinik IV, LMU University Hospital Munich, Ziemssenstraße 5, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Heike Schneider
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Kristina Adorjan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, Nußbaumstraße 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Hans Christian Stubbe
- Medizinische Klinik Und Poliklinik II, LMU University Hospital Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Henner Hanssen
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Preventive Sports Medicine and Systems Physiology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Konstantin Kotilar
- Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Bernhard Haller
- School of Medicine, Institute for AI and Informatics in Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Uwe Heemann
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Schmaderer
- School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.
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Xu SW, Ilyas I, Weng JP. Endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19: an overview of evidence, biomarkers, mechanisms and potential therapies. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:695-709. [PMID: 36253560 PMCID: PMC9574180 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-00998-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is still raging. However, the pathophysiology of acute and post-acute manifestations of COVID-19 (long COVID-19) is understudied. Endothelial cells are sentinels lining the innermost layer of blood vessel that gatekeep micro- and macro-vascular health by sensing pathogen/danger signals and secreting vasoactive molecules. SARS-CoV-2 infection primarily affects the pulmonary system, but accumulating evidence suggests that it also affects the pan-vasculature in the extrapulmonary systems by directly (via virus infection) or indirectly (via cytokine storm), causing endothelial dysfunction (endotheliitis, endothelialitis and endotheliopathy) and multi-organ injury. Mounting evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to multiple instances of endothelial dysfunction, including reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, oxidative stress, endothelial injury, glycocalyx/barrier disruption, hyperpermeability, inflammation/leukocyte adhesion, senescence, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), hypercoagulability, thrombosis and many others. Thus, COVID-19 is deemed as a (micro)vascular and endothelial disease. Of translational relevance, several candidate drugs which are endothelial protective have been shown to improve clinical manifestations of COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this review is to provide a latest summary of biomarkers associated with endothelial cell activation in COVID-19 and offer mechanistic insights into the molecular basis of endothelial activation/dysfunction in macro- and micro-vasculature of COVID-19 patients. We envisage further development of cellular models and suitable animal models mimicking endothelial dysfunction aspect of COVID-19 being able to accelerate the discovery of new drugs targeting endothelial dysfunction in pan-vasculature from COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suo-Wen Xu
- Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Clinical Research Hospital of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Hefei), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
| | - Iqra Ilyas
- Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Clinical Research Hospital of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Hefei), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Jian-Ping Weng
- Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Clinical Research Hospital of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Hefei), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
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Theofilis P, Lampsas S, Oikonomou E, Siasos G, Vavuranakis MA, Marinos G, Tsioufis K, Vavuranakis M, Tousoulis D. Endothelial dysfunction in convalescent COVID-19 patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Cardiovasc Dis 2022; 115:675-677. [PMID: 36335024 PMCID: PMC9595447 DOI: 10.1016/j.acvd.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Theofilis
- 1st Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Vas. Sophias 114, 11527 Athens, Greece,Corresponding author
| | - Stamatios Lampsas
- 3rd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelos Oikonomou
- 1st Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Vas. Sophias 114, 11527 Athens, Greece,3rd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Gerasimos Siasos
- 3rd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece,Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02115 Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Andrew Vavuranakis
- 3rd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Marinos
- 3rd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Kostas Tsioufis
- 1st Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Vas. Sophias 114, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Manolis Vavuranakis
- 3rd Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Sotiria Chest Disease Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitris Tousoulis
- 1st Department of Cardiology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Hippokration General Hospital, Vas. Sophias 114, 11527 Athens, Greece
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