Нарушение обмена железа — универсальный патогенетический фактор в поражении органов и систем при COVID-19

Relevance. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains one of the most pressing. The literature discusses the role of iron as a factor supporting inflammatory processes, hypercoagulability and microcirculation crisis in severe COVID-19.The aim of study. was to identify changes in iron metabolism in patients with severe COVID-19 and hyperferritinemia.Material and methods. In this study, we used a content analysis of available scientific publications and our own observations of the peculiarities of the clinical picture and laboratory parameters in patients with a severe course of COVID-19 who had hyperferretinemia at the height of the disease. The main group consisted of 30 patients hospitalized in the Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care of N.A. Semashko City clinical Hospital No. 38 with the diagnosis COVID-19, bilateral polysegmental pneumonia, severe course and hyperferritinemia. The diagnosis of a new coronavirus infection was confirmed by visualization of bilateral viral lung lesions with chest CT-scan, positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 and the presence of immunoglobulins to SARS-CoV-2. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers. The study evaluated the biochemical parameters of iron metabolism, fibrinolysis and markers of inflammation. Changes associated with impaired iron metabolism were assessed by the level of serum iron, transferrin, daily and induced iron excretion in the urine. Statistical processing was carried out using nonparametric methods.Results. All patients with severe COVID-19 and hyperferritinemia showed signs of impaired iron metabolism, inflammation and fibrinolysis — a decrease in the level of transferrin (p<0.001), serum iron (p><0.005), albumin (p><0.001), lymphocytes (p><0.001) and an increase in leukocytes (p><0.001), neutrophils (p><0.001), CRP (p><0.005), IL-6 (p><0.001), D-dimer (p><0.005), daily urinary iron excretion (p><0.005) and induced urinary iron excretion (p><0.001). Conclusions The study showed that in the pathogenesis of the severe course of COVID-19, there is a violation of iron metabolism and the presence of a free iron fraction. The appearance of free iron can be caused by damage to cells with the “release” of iron from cytochromes, myoglobin, hemoglobin, or violation of the binding of iron to transferrin, which may be the result of a change in the protein structure or violation of the oxidation of iron to the trivalent state. When assessing the degree of viral effect on the body, one should take into account the effect of various regulators of iron metabolism, as well as an assessment of the level of free iron not associated with transferrin. Keywords: new coronavirus infection, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, iron metabolism, free iron, ferritin, transferrin, NTBI, nontransferrin bound iron>˂0.001), serum iron (p˂0.005), albumin (p˂0.001), lymphocytes (p˂0.001) and an increase in leukocytes (p˂0.001), neutrophils (p˂0.001), CRP (p˂0.005), IL-6 (p˂0.001), D-dimer (p˂0.005), daily urinary iron excretion (p˂0.005) and induced urinary iron excretion (p˂0.001).Conclusions. The study showed that in the pathogenesis of the severe course of COVID-19, there is a violation of iron metabolism and the presence of a free iron fraction. The appearance of free iron can be caused by damage to cells with the “release” of iron from cytochromes, myoglobin, hemoglobin, or violation of the binding of iron to transferrin, which may be the result of a change in the protein structure or violation of the oxidation of iron to the trivalent state. When assessing the degree of viral effect on the body, one should take into account the effect of various regulators of iron metabolism, as well as an assessment of the level of free iron not associated with transferrin. Актуальность. Вопрос патогенеза COVID-19 остается одним из самых актуальных. В литературе обсуждается роль железа в качестве фактора, поддерживающего воспалительные процессы, гиперкоагуляцию и кризис микроциркуляции при тяжелом течении COVID-19.Цель исследования. Выявление изменений показателей обмена железа у больных с тяжелым течением COVID-19 и гиперферритинемией.Материал и методы. В настоящем исследовании использованы контент-анализ имеющихся научных публикаций и собственные наблюдения за особенностями клинической картины и лабораторных параметров у пациентов с тяжелым течением COVID-19, имевших гиперферритинемию в период наибольших проявлений заболевания. Основная группа состояла из 30 пациентов, госпитализированных в отделение анестезиологии, реанимации и интенсивной терапии СПб ГБУЗ «Городская больница № 38 им. Н.А. Семашко» с диагнозом «COVID-19, двусторонняя полисегментарная пневмония, тяжелое течение» и гиперферритинемией. Диагноз новой коронавирусной инфекции подтверждался визуализацией двустороннего вирусного поражения легких при компьютерной томографии грудной клетки, положительным ПЦР-тестом на SARS-CoV-2 и наличием иммуноглобулинов к SARS-CoV-2. Группу сравнения составили 20 здоровых добровольцев. В работе дана оценка биохимических показателей обмена железа, фибринолиза и маркеров воспаления. Изменения, связанные с нарушением обмена железа, оценивали по уровню сывороточного железа, трансферрина, суточной и индуцированной экскреции железа с мочой. Статистическую обработку осуществляли с помощью непараметрических методов.Результаты. У всех пациентов с тяжелым течением COVID-19 и гиперферритинемией отмечались статистически значимые признаки нарушения метаболизма железа, воспаления и фибринолиза — снижение уровня сывороточного трансферрина (p<0,001), железа (p><0,005) и альбумина (p><0,001), лимфоцитов (p><0,001) в крови, повышение содержания в ней лейкоцитов (p><0,001), нейтрофилов (p><0,001), СРБ (p><0,005), ИЛ-6 (p><0,001), D-димера (p><0,005), а также увеличение суточной (p><0,005) и индуцированной экскреции железа с мочой (p><0,001). заключение Проведенное исследование показало, что в патогенезе тяжелого течения COVID-19 имеет место нарушение метаболизма железа и наличие свободной фракции железа. Появление свободного железа может быть вызвано повреждением клеток с высвобождением железа из цитохромов, миоглобина, гемоглобина либо нарушением процессов связывания железа с трансферрином, что может быть результатом изменения структуры белка или нарушением процесса окисления железа в трехвалентное состояние. При оценке степени вирусного влияния на организм следует учитывать и влияние различных регуляторов метаболизма железа, а также оценку уровня свободного, не связанного с трансферрином железа. Ключевые слова: новая коронавирусная инфекция, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, обмен железа, свободное железо, ферритин, трансферрин, NTBI, nontransferrin bound iron>˂0,001), железа (p˂0,005) и альбумина (p˂0,001), лимфоцитов (p˂0,001) в крови, повышение содержания в ней лейкоцитов (p˂0,001), нейтрофилов (p˂0,001), СРБ (p˂0,005), ИЛ-6 (p˂0,001), D-димера (p˂0,005), а также увеличение суточной (p0,005) и индуцированной экскреции железа с мочой (p˂0,001).Заключение. Проведенное исследование показало, что в патогенезе тяжелого течения COVID-19 имеет место нарушение метаболизма железа и наличие свободной фракции железа. Появление свободного железа может быть вызвано повреждением клеток с высвобождением железа из цитохромов, миоглобина, гемоглобина либо нарушением процессов связывания железа с трансферрином, что может быть результатом изменения структуры белка или нарушением процесса окисления железа в трехвалентное состояние. При оценке степени вирусного влияния на организм следует учитывать и влияние различных регуляторов метаболизма железа, а также оценку уровня свободного, не связанного с трансферрином железа.

Secondary hemophagocytic syndrome in adult patients. Study of 91 patients

Background. Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohystiocytosis (sHLH) is a hyperinflammatory reaction provoked by some trigger (cancer, autoimmune or infection). The majority of affected patients are at high risk of fatal multiple organ failure without getting immunsupressive treatment.Objective. Clinical and laboratory profile of sHLH patients.Materials and methods. Retrospective study included clinical, instrumental and lab data from the 91 patients followed between June 2009 and June 2019. Diagnosis sHLH had been based on HLH-2004 and H-Score criteria. The analyzed parameters had been fever chart, liver and spleen enlargement, changes in the bone marrow; values levels of glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, triglycerides, total ferritin with percentage of glycosylation. All patients with rheumatic disorders or malignancies had received either immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapy. Febrile patients received anti-infective treatment according to the local routine protocols.Results. The data from 91 patients (41 male and 50 female) had been analyzed. Median age was 58 (2–90) years. The sHLH trigger-diseases spectrum included leukemia/lymphoma (n = 52), infection diseases (n = 11), autoimmune disorders (n = 5), allogenic bone marrow transplantation (n = 13), unidentified (n = 10). A fever with an unknown origin and refractory to antibacterial treatment had been observed in 87 (96 %) patients. Morphological hemophagocytic evidences in the bone marrow had been found in 83 %. Breath shortening, liver failure, neurologic disturbances, systemic effusions, rash, heart failure had been registered in 83 % patients. Detected splenomegaly presented in 56 %. Laboratory changes, median were as following: serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (alanine aminotransferase, SGPT) – 92 (39.2–1060.8) IU/L; serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (aspartate aminotransferase, SGOT) – 105 (40–4177) IU/L; alkaline phosphatase – 225 (120.9–989) IU/L; bilirubin – 50.5 (22–559) µmol/L; triglycerides – 3.2 (1.95–8.6) mmol/L; total ferritin – 10000 (597–255000) ng/mL with glycosylation percentage – 20.45 (0–37.8) %. 71 patients received various of HLH-directed therapy courses. The overall survival rate was 27 %, median follow-up – 540 days.Conclusion. The main clinical and instrumental findings in sHLH are fever, refractory to anti-infective treatment, elevation of transaminases, serum alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, total ferritine with low glycosylated fraction. Early diagnosing and immunesupression are the main factors of survival

Discrimination between Complete versus Non-Complete Pathologic Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy Using Ultrasensitive Mutation Analysis: A Proof-of-Concept Study in <i>BRCA1</i>-Driven Breast Cancer Patients

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for breast cancer (BC) often results in pathologic complete response (pCR), i.e., the complete elimination of visible cancer cells. It is unclear whether the use of ultrasensitive genetic methods may still detect residual BC cells in complete responders. Breast carcinomas arising in BRCA1 mutation carriers almost always carry alterations of the TP53 gene thus providing an opportunity to address this question. The analysis of consecutive BC patients treated by NACT revealed a higher pCR rate in BRCA1-driven vs. BRCA1-wildtype BCs (13/24 (54%) vs. 29/192 (15%), p BRCA1 mutation carriers were available for the study. While TP53 mutation was identified in all chemonaive tumors, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) analysis of the post-NACT tumor bed revealed the persistence of this alteration in all seven pCR-non-responders but in none of five pCR responders. Eleven patients provided to the study post-NACT tissue samples only; next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis revealed mutated TP53 copies in all six cases without pCR but in none of five instances of pCR. In total, TP53 mutation was present in post-NACT tissues in all 13 cases without pCR, but in none of 10 patients with pCR (p < 0.000001). Therefore, the lack of visible tumor cells in the post-NACT tumor bed is indeed a reliable indicator of the complete elimination of transformed clones. Failure of ultrasensitive methods to identify patients with minimal residual disease among pCR responders suggests that the result of NACT is a categorical rather than continuous variable, where some patients are destined to be cured while others ultimately fail to experience tumor eradication