RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Airway remodeling in COVID-19 lungs
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 2969
DO 10.1183/13993003.congress-2022.2969
VO 60
IS suppl 66
A1 V Geudens
A1 J Van Slambrouck
A1 G Aerts
A1 L Willems
A1 T Goos
A1 J Kaes
A1 I Gyselinck
A1 C Aelbrecht
A1 A Vermaut
A1 H Beeckmans
A1 M Vermant
A1 C De Fays
A1 A Sacreas
A1 L Aversa
A1 K Verstraete
A1 M Orlitová
A1 A Vanstapel
A1 J E. Mcdonough
A1 C Pilette
A1 W Janssens
A1 W A. Wuyts
A1 G M. Verleden
A1 D E. Van Raemdonck
A1 R Vos
A1 G Gayan-Ramirez
A1 L J. Ceulemans
A1 B M. Vanaudenaerde
YR 2022
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/60/suppl_66/2969.abstract
AB Besides parenchymal changes that have been described extensively in COVID-19, bronchiectasis is also reported but detailed characterization of airway changes is lacking. Hence, we aimed to quantify the number of visible airways and their diameters in end-stage COVID-19 lungs.Explanted right lungs, obtained after lung transplantation (n=2) or autopsy (n=1) (65.3±26.7 days after symptom onset), were inflated to total lung capacity, frozen and scanned with whole lung microCT (155 µm). Airways were segmented using Mimics Innovation Suite (Materialise, Belgium) and airway count and diameter were assessed using Neuronstudio. Three discarded donor lungs were used as controls.Number of visible airways increased in COVID-19 lungs compared to controls (fig.1a) potentially caused by airway remodeling and bronchiectasis (fig.1b, red arrows) due to fibrotic rearrangement (fig. 1b). Small airway count (diameter 0-2 mm) in generation (G) 1-11 was lower in COVID-19 patients compared to controls, with a shift of small airways from lower generations (G1-11) to higher generations (G12-27) in COVID-19 patients. Simultaneously, airways with a diameter > 2 mm were increased in all generations in COVID-19 (present until G21 compared to G13 in controls).This study shows that COVID-19 causes a remodeling of the (small) airways, leading to an increase of visible airways and diameter of large and small airways, similar to that seen in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis due to traction bronchiectasis.FootnotesCite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 2969.This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).