Since SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019, strict monitoring of post-COVID-19 patients in order to ensure the early detection of sequelae and/or chronic organ damage that could been associated with the infection has been essential. Potential involvement of the NO pathway in the development of post-COVID-19 lung fibrotic alterations is feasible, since the majority of respiratory cells can produce NO, and fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) represents a biomarker of airway inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential utility of multiple-flow FeNO parameters in a post-COVID-19 population and to compare it with other indicators of lung damage proposed in the literature. We enrolled 20 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, who underwent clinical, respiratory functional (including PFTs and FeNO) and radiological follow-up after discharge. Compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls, post-COVID-19 patients showed significantly higher FeNO 350 mL/s and CaNO levels. Moreover, among the parameters included in the follow-up, CaNO showed the best accuracy in indicating predominant fibrotic changes and GGO at CT scan. To our knowledge, this preliminary study has investigated for the first time multiple-flow FeNO parameters in a post-COVID-19 population. The evidence of increased CaNO values may imply the persistence of alveolar and bronchiolar inflammation and/or a mild impairment of the alveolar-capillary membrane in these patients.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Biomarkers, nitric oxide, 【초록키워드】 Inflammation, Biomarker, knowledge, Infection, lung, discharge, Accuracy, persistence, CT scan, pathway, Mild, membrane, age, GGO, Follow-up, utility, change, patients, Evidence, lung damage, Airway inflammation, alteration, healthy controls, organ damage, impairment, parameter, alveolar, radiological, enrolled, bronchiolar, investigated, functional, majority, significantly higher, feasible, predominant, Potential, patients hospitalized, post-COVID-19 patient, respiratory cell, 【제목키워드】 Oxide,