Open AccessI-FABP is decreased in COVID-19 patients, independently of the prognosis
Author(s) -
Kévin Guedj,
Mathieu Uzzan,
Damien Soudan,
Catherine Trichet,
Antonino Nicoletti,
Emmanuel Weiss,
Hana Manceau,
Alexandre Nuzzo,
Olivier Corcos,
Xavier Tréton,
Katell Peoc’h
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0249799
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , biomarker , pathophysiology , abdominal pain , covid-19 , pneumonia , disease , biology , biochemistry , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background 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. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions 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.