YANAGISAWA Naoko
   Department   School of Medicine, School of Medicine
   Position   Professor and Division head
Article types Original article
Language English
Peer review Non peer reviewed
Title Serum VEGF-A levels on admission in COVID-19 patients correlate with SP-D and neutrophils, reflecting disease severity: A prospective study.
Journal Formal name：Cytokine
Abbreviation：Cytokine
ISSN code：10960023/10434666
Domestic / ForeginForegin
Volume, Issue, Page 178,pp.156583
Author and coauthor TSUJI Mayoko†, KONDO Mitsuko, SATO Yasuto, MIYOSHI Azusa, MIYATA Fumi, ARIMURA Ken, YAMASHITA Kaoru, MORIMOTO Satoshi, YANAGISAWA Naoko, ICHIHARA Atsuhiro, TAGAYA Etsuko
Publication date 2024/06
Summary BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in significant global morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in COVID-19 patients and its association with disease severity and pulmonary injury.METHODS:We prospectively collected data from 71 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between June 2020 and January 2021. Patients were classified as either mild or severe based on their oxygen requirements during hospitalization. Serum VEGF-A levels were measured using an ELISA kit.RESULTS:In comparison to mild cases, significantly elevated serum VEGF-A levels were observed in severe COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, VEGF-A levels exhibited a positive correlation with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count. Notably, serum surfactant protein-D (SP-D), an indicator of alveolar epithelial cell damage, was significantly higher in patients with elevated VEGF-A levels.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that elevated serum VEGF-A levels could serve as a prognostic biomarker for COVID-19 as it is indicative of alveolar epithelial cell injury caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, we observed a correlation between VEGF-A and neutrophil activation, which plays a role in the immune response during endothelial cell injury, indicating a potential involvement of angiogenesis in disease progression. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of VEGF-A elevation in COVID-19.
DOI 10.1016/j.cyto.2024.156583
PMID 38554499