Overlapping Systemic Proteins in COVID-19 and Lung Fibrosis Associated with Tissue Remodeling and Inflammation
(2024) In Biomedicines 12(12).- Abstract
Background/Objectives: A novel patient group with chronic pulmonary fibrosis is emerging post COVID-19. To identify patients at risk of developing post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis, we here aimed to identify systemic proteins that overlap with fibrotic markers identified in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and may predict COVID-19-induced lung fibrosis.
Methods: Ninety-two proteins were measured in plasma samples from hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 in Sweden, before the introduction of the vaccination program, as well as from healthy individuals. These measurements were conducted using proximity extension assay (PEA) technology with a panel including inflammatory and remodeling proteins.... (More)
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Background/Objectives: A novel patient group with chronic pulmonary fibrosis is emerging post COVID-19. To identify patients at risk of developing post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis, we here aimed to identify systemic proteins that overlap with fibrotic markers identified in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and may predict COVID-19-induced lung fibrosis.
Methods: Ninety-two proteins were measured in plasma samples from hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 in Sweden, before the introduction of the vaccination program, as well as from healthy individuals. These measurements were conducted using proximity extension assay (PEA) technology with a panel including inflammatory and remodeling proteins. Histopathological alterations were evaluated in explanted lung tissue.
Results: Connecting to IPF pathology, several proteins including decorin (DCN), tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12A (TNFRSF12A) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) were elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, we found incrementing expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) when comparing moderate to severe COVID-19.
Conclusions: Both extracellular matrix- and inflammation-associated proteins were identified as overlapping with pulmonary fibrosis, where we found DCN, TNFRSF12A, CXCL13, CXCL9, MCP-3 and HGF to be of particular interest to follow up on for the prediction of disease severity.
- author
- Svobodová, Barbora
LU
; Löfdahl, Anna
LU
; Nybom, Annika
LU
; Wigén, Jenny
LU
; Hirdman, Gabriel
LU
; Olm, Franziska
LU
; Brunnström, Hans LU
; Lindstedt, Sandra LU ; Westergren-Thorsson, Gunilla LU
and Elowsson, Linda LU
- organization
-
- Lung Biology (research group)
- Department Office of Experimental Medical Science
- StemTherapy: National Initiative on Stem Cells for Regenerative Therapy
- LUCC: Lund University Cancer Centre
- Thoracic Surgery
- WCMM-Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine
- Pathology, Lund
- Improved diagnostics and prognostics of lung cancer and metastases to the lungs (research group)
- Clinical and experimental lung transplantation (research group)
- NPWT technology (research group)
- DCD transplantation of lungs (research group)
- eSSENCE: The e-Science Collaboration
- Lund University Bioimaging Center
- publishing date
- 2024-12-19
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Biomedicines
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 12
- article number
- 2893
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85213215226
- pmid:39767799
- ISSN
- 2227-9059
- DOI
- 10.3390/biomedicines12122893
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 004644df-a841-4cb8-b836-2b5a110d0a8b
- date added to LUP
- 2025-01-09 14:30:11
- date last changed
- 2025-07-25 20:19:00
@article{004644df-a841-4cb8-b836-2b5a110d0a8b, abstract = {{<p><br> Background/Objectives: A novel patient group with chronic pulmonary fibrosis is emerging post COVID-19. To identify patients at risk of developing post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis, we here aimed to identify systemic proteins that overlap with fibrotic markers identified in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and may predict COVID-19-induced lung fibrosis. <br> Methods: Ninety-two proteins were measured in plasma samples from hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 in Sweden, before the introduction of the vaccination program, as well as from healthy individuals. These measurements were conducted using proximity extension assay (PEA) technology with a panel including inflammatory and remodeling proteins. Histopathological alterations were evaluated in explanted lung tissue. <br> Results: Connecting to IPF pathology, several proteins including decorin (DCN), tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12A (TNFRSF12A) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) were elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, we found incrementing expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) when comparing moderate to severe COVID-19. <br> Conclusions: Both extracellular matrix- and inflammation-associated proteins were identified as overlapping with pulmonary fibrosis, where we found DCN, TNFRSF12A, CXCL13, CXCL9, MCP-3 and HGF to be of particular interest to follow up on for the prediction of disease severity.<br> </p>}}, author = {{Svobodová, Barbora and Löfdahl, Anna and Nybom, Annika and Wigén, Jenny and Hirdman, Gabriel and Olm, Franziska and Brunnström, Hans and Lindstedt, Sandra and Westergren-Thorsson, Gunilla and Elowsson, Linda}}, issn = {{2227-9059}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{12}}, number = {{12}}, publisher = {{MDPI AG}}, series = {{Biomedicines}}, title = {{Overlapping Systemic Proteins in COVID-19 and Lung Fibrosis Associated with Tissue Remodeling and Inflammation}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12122893}}, doi = {{10.3390/biomedicines12122893}}, volume = {{12}}, year = {{2024}}, }