Journal Article

I-FABP is decreased in COVID-19 patients, independently of the prognosis

Weiss, Emmanuel, Treton, Xavier, Nicoletti, Antonino, Nuzzo, Alexandre, Soudan, Damien, Guedj, Kevin, Manceau, Hana, Peoc’h, Katell, Uzzan, Mathieu, Trichet, Catherine, Corcos, Olivier

2021

Overview

Severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is frequently associated with gastrointestinal manifestations. Herein we evaluated the interest in measuring the intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), a biomarker of intestinal injury, in COVID-19 patients. Serum I-FABP was analyzed in 28 consecutive patients hospitalized for a PCR-confirmed COVID-19, in 24 hospitalized patients with non-COVID-19 pulmonary diseases, and 79 patients admitted to the emergency room for abdominal pain. I-FABP serum concentrations were significantly lower in patients with COVID-19, as compared to patients with non-COVID-19 pulmonary diseases [70.3 pg/mL (47-167.9) vs. 161.1 pg/mL (88.98-305.2), respectively, p = 0.008]. I-FABP concentrations in these two populations were significantly lower than in patients with abdominal pain without COVID-19 [344.8 pg/mL (268.9-579.6)]. I-FABP was neither associated with severity nor the duration of symptoms. I-FABP was correlated with polymorphonuclear cell counts. In this pilot study, we observed a low I-FABP concentration in COVID-19 patients either with or without gastrointestinal symptoms, of which the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical impact remain to be established. Further explorations on a larger cohort of patients will be needed to unravel the molecular mechanism of such observation, including the effects of malabsorption and/or abnormal lipid metabolism.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Abdomen / ACE2 / Aged / Angiotensin / Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 / Biochemistry / Biology and Life Sciences / Biomarkers / Biomarkers - blood / Citrulline / Complications / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - blood / COVID-19 - diagnosis / Disease / Enterocytes / Epithelial cells / Epithelium / Fatty acid-binding protein / Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins - blood / Fatty acids / Female / Gastroenterology / Gastrointestinal diseases / Gastrointestinal symptoms / Heart surgery / Hospitalization / Hospitals / Humans / Infections / Inflammation / Intensive care / Intensive care units / Intestine / Ischemia / Male / Measurement / Medical prognosis / Medicine and Health Sciences / Middle Aged / Pain / Peptidyl-dipeptidase A / Physiological aspects / Pilot Projects / Pneumonia / Prognosis / Proteins / Risk factors / SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification / Septic shock / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Standard deviation / Surgery / Viral diseases