Possible involvement of Syndecan-1 in the state of COVID-19 related to endothelial injury
Keiko Suzuki, Hideshi Okada, Hiroyuki Tomita, Kazuyuki Sumi, Yoshinori Kakino, Ryu Yasuda, Yuichiro Kitagawa, Tetsuya Fukuta, Takahito Miyake, Shozo Yoshida, Akio Suzuki, Shinji Ogura
Abstract
Abstract Background The coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with microvascular endothelial injury. Here, we report that syndecan-1, a component of endothelial glycocalyx, may reflect the disease state of COVID-19 related to endothelial injury. Case presentation A patient with COVID-19 was transferred to the intensive care unit of our hospital. Computed tomography of the chest showed bilateral ground glass opacities, which was diagnosed as acute respiratory syndrome. The PaO 2 /F I O 2 ratio gradually increased from 158 on hospitalization to 300 on Day 11, on which day the ventilator was withdrawn. However, serum syndecan-1 (SDC-1) level gradually decreased from 400.5 ng/ml at hospitalization to 165.1 ng/ml on Day 5. On Day 6, serum SDC-1 level increased to 612.9 ng/ml owing to a systemic thrombosis with an increase in D-dimer. Serum SDC-1 level then decreased until 206.0 ng/ml on Day 11 after a decrease in D-dimer. The patient was transferred to another hospital on Day 21 after hospitalization. Conclusions In this case report, changes in serum SDC-1 level closely reflected the change in disease condition in a patient with COVID-19. Serum SDC-1 may be a useful biomarker for monitoring the disease state of critically ill patients with COVID-19.