Journal Article

Neuron-specific enolase serum levels in COVID-19 are related to the severity of lung injury

Berrino, Liberato, D’Agostino, Bruno, Gangemi, Pietro, Colosimo, Manuela, Luciani, Filippo, Cosco, Lucio, De Sarro, Giovambattista, Siniscalchi, Antonio, Longhini, Federico, Gallelli, Luca, Cione, Erika

2021

Overview

The multifunctional role of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in lung diseases is well established. As the lungs are greatly affected in COVID-19, we evaluated serum NSE levels in COVID-19 patients with and without dyspnea. In this study, we evaluated both SARS-CoV-2-infected and uninfected patients aged >18 years who were referred to hospitals in Catanzaro, Italy from March 30 to July 30, 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, and radiological characteristics, treatment, and outcome data were recorded and reviewed by a trained team of physicians. In total, 323 patients (178 men, 55.1% and 145 women, 44.9%) were enrolled; of these, 128 were COVID-19 patients (39.6%) and 195 were control patients (60.4%). Westergren’s method was used to determine erythroid sedimentation rate. A chemiluminescence assay was used for measurement of interleukin-6, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and NSE. We detected significantly higher NSE values (P<0.05) in COVID-19 patients than in controls. Interestingly, within the COVID-19 group, we also observed a further significant increase in dyspnea (Dyspnea Scale and Exercise score: 8.2 ± 0.8; scores ranging from 0 to 10, with higher numbers indicating very severe shortness of breath). These data provide the background for further investigations into the potential role of NSE as a clinical marker of COVID-19 progression.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Analysis / Anesthesiology / Biochemistry / Biology and life sciences / Cancer / Complications and side effects / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Cytokines / Dyspnea / Editing / Enolase / Glycolysis / Hospitals / Infectious diseases / Laboratories / Lung diseases / Lungs / Medicine / Medicine and health sciences / Metabolic pathways / Microbiology / Neurology / Neurons / Patients / Pharmacology / Phosphopyruvate hydratase / Proteins / Public health / Research facilities / Respiration / Respiratory diseases / RNA polymerase / Serum levels / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Shortness of breath / Supervision / Tuberculosis / Viral diseases / Viruses / Working groups