Background We investigate the long-term effects of SARS-CoV on patients’ lung and immune systems 15 years post-infection. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is ongoing however, another genetically related beta-coronavirus SARS-CoV caused an epidemic in 2003–2004. Methods We enrolled 58 healthcare workers from Peking University People’s Hospital who were infected with SARS-CoV in 2003. We evaluated lung damage by mMRC score, pulmonary function tests, and chest CT. Immune function was assessed by their serum levels of globin, complete components, and peripheral T cell subsets. ELISA was used to detect SARS-CoV-specific IgG antibodies in sera. Results After 15 years of disease onset, 19 (36.5%), 8 (34.6%), and 19 (36.5%) subjects had impaired DL (CO), RV, and FEF 25–75 , respectively. 17 (30.4%) subjects had an mMRC score ≥ 2. Fourteen (25.5%) cases had residual CT abnormalities. T regulatory cells were a bit higher in the SARS survivors. IgG antibodies against SARS S-RBD protein and N protein were detected in 11 (18.97%) and 12 (20.69%) subjects, respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that small airway dysfunction and CT abnormalities were more common in the severe group than in the non-severe group (57.1% vs 22.6%, 54.5% vs 6.1%, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusions SARS-CoV could cause permanent damage to the lung, which requires early pulmonary rehabilitation. The long-lived immune memory response against coronavirus requires further studies to assess the potential benefit. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03443102. Registered prospectively on 25 January 2018
【저자키워드】 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), SARS-CoV specific IgG antibody, Regulatory T cell, HRCT, Pulmonary function test, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, lung, immune system, healthcare worker, ELISA, airway, Protein, T cell, Epidemic, IgG antibody, Survivors, Chest CT, IgG antibodies, sera, S-RBD, N protein, immune function, immune memory, pulmonary rehabilitation, university, RBD protein, Analysis, disease onset, beta-coronavirus, lung damage, Pulmonary function tests, dysfunction, Post-infection, Trial registration, Serum level, subject, components, severe group, specific IgG antibodies, Abnormalities, subgroup analysis, non-severe group, abnormality, T regulatory cells, globin, immune systems, mMRC, Effect, Complete, T regulatory cell, benefit, Result, enrolled, was used, were infected, detect, caused, evaluated, subjects, 【제목키워드】 Lung function, investigation, SARS-CoV infection,