tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Obesity (Silver Spring)
. 2021 May 24.
doi: 10.1002/oby.23232. Online ahead of print.
Epicardial fat inflammation response to COVID-19 therapies
Gianluca Iacobellis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexis Elias Malavazos[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sara Basilico[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Silvia Tresoldi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rocco Francesco Rinaldo[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Carola Dubini[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gloria Capitanio[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Francesca Serpi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Simone Schiaffino[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Omar Alessandro Oliva[SUP] 2 7 [/SUP], Maurizio Cariati[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lelio Morricone[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stefano Centanni[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Francesco Sardanelli[SUP] 6 8 [/SUP], Michele Carruba[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Massimiliano Marco Corsi Romanelli[SUP] 8 10 [/SUP], Francesco Secchi[SUP] 6 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objective: Adipose tissue plays a role in the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a unique visceral fat, presents with high degree of inflammation in severe COVID-19 disease. Whether and how adipose tissue may respond to the COVID-19 therapies is unknown.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the difference in computed tomography (CT) measured EAT and subcutaneous (SAT) attenuation, defined as mean attenuation expressed in Hounsfield units (HU), in 72 patients [mean±SD age was 59.6±12.4 years, 50 (69%) were men] at the hospital admission for COVID-19 and 99 days [IQR (71-129)] after discharge.
Results: At the admission, EAT HU was significantly correlated with blood glucose levels, interleukin 6 , troponin T levels and waist circumference. EAT HU decreased from -87.21±16.18 to -100.0±11 (p<0.001) whereas SAT HU did not change (-110.21±12.1 to -111.11±27.82, p=0.78) after therapy. Changes in EAT HU (expressed as ∆) significantly correlated with dexamethasone therapy (r= - 0.46, p= 0.006), and when dexamethasone was combined with tocilizumab (r= -0.24, p=0.04).
Conclusions: Dexamethasone therapy was associated with significant reduction of EAT inflammation in COVID-19 patients, whereas SAT showed no changes. Anti-inflammatory therapies targeting visceral fat may be helpful in COVID-19 diseases.
Keywords: COVID-19; Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT); computed tomography scan (CT); dexamethasone.
. 2021 May 24.
doi: 10.1002/oby.23232. Online ahead of print.
Epicardial fat inflammation response to COVID-19 therapies
Gianluca Iacobellis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexis Elias Malavazos[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sara Basilico[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Silvia Tresoldi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rocco Francesco Rinaldo[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Carola Dubini[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gloria Capitanio[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Francesca Serpi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Simone Schiaffino[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Omar Alessandro Oliva[SUP] 2 7 [/SUP], Maurizio Cariati[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lelio Morricone[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stefano Centanni[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Francesco Sardanelli[SUP] 6 8 [/SUP], Michele Carruba[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Massimiliano Marco Corsi Romanelli[SUP] 8 10 [/SUP], Francesco Secchi[SUP] 6 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34028990
- DOI: 10.1002/oby.23232
Abstract
Objective: Adipose tissue plays a role in the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a unique visceral fat, presents with high degree of inflammation in severe COVID-19 disease. Whether and how adipose tissue may respond to the COVID-19 therapies is unknown.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the difference in computed tomography (CT) measured EAT and subcutaneous (SAT) attenuation, defined as mean attenuation expressed in Hounsfield units (HU), in 72 patients [mean±SD age was 59.6±12.4 years, 50 (69%) were men] at the hospital admission for COVID-19 and 99 days [IQR (71-129)] after discharge.
Results: At the admission, EAT HU was significantly correlated with blood glucose levels, interleukin 6 , troponin T levels and waist circumference. EAT HU decreased from -87.21±16.18 to -100.0±11 (p<0.001) whereas SAT HU did not change (-110.21±12.1 to -111.11±27.82, p=0.78) after therapy. Changes in EAT HU (expressed as ∆) significantly correlated with dexamethasone therapy (r= - 0.46, p= 0.006), and when dexamethasone was combined with tocilizumab (r= -0.24, p=0.04).
Conclusions: Dexamethasone therapy was associated with significant reduction of EAT inflammation in COVID-19 patients, whereas SAT showed no changes. Anti-inflammatory therapies targeting visceral fat may be helpful in COVID-19 diseases.
Keywords: COVID-19; Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT); computed tomography scan (CT); dexamethasone.