1
|
Zingaropoli MA, Latronico T, Pasculli P, Masci GM, Merz R, Ciccone F, Dominelli F, Del Borgo C, Lichtner M, Iafrate F, Galardo G, Pugliese F, Panebianco V, Ricci P, Catalano C, Ciardi MR, Liuzzi GM, Mastroianni CM. Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) and Pulmonary Involvement in COVID-19 Pneumonia. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1040. [PMID: 37509076 PMCID: PMC10377146 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The aim of the study was to longitudinally evaluate the association between MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and chest radiological findings in COVID-19 patients. Methods: COVID-19 patients were evaluated based on their hospital admission (baseline) and three months after hospital discharge (T post) and were stratified into ARDS and non-ARDS groups. As a control group, healthy donors (HD) were enrolled. Results: At the baseline, compared to HD (n = 53), COVID-19 patients (n = 129) showed higher plasma levels of MMP-9 (p < 0.0001) and TIMP-1 (p < 0.0001) and the higher plasma activity of MMP-2 (p < 0.0001) and MMP-9 (p < 0.0001). In the ARDS group, higher plasma levels of MMP-9 (p = 0.0339) and TIMP-1 (p = 0.0044) and the plasma activity of MMP-2 (p = 0.0258) and MMP-9 (p = 0.0021) compared to non-ARDS was observed. A positive correlation between the plasma levels of TIMP-1 and chest computed tomography (CT) score (ρ = 0.2302, p = 0.0160) was observed. At the T post, a reduction in plasma levels of TIMP-1 (p < 0.0001), whereas an increase in the plasma levels of MMP-9 was observed (p = 0.0088). Conclusions: The positive correlation between TIMP-1 with chest CT scores highlights its potential use as a marker of fibrotic burden. At T post, the increase in plasma levels of MMP-9 and the reduction in plasma levels of TIMP-1 suggested that inflammation and fibrosis resolution were still ongoing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antonella Zingaropoli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Latronico
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pasculli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Merz
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Ciccone
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Dominelli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Cosmo Del Borgo
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Sapienza, University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Miriam Lichtner
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, Sapienza, University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Iafrate
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Gioacchino Galardo
- Medical Emergency Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pugliese
- Department of Specialist Surgery and Organ Transplantation "Paride Stefanini", Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Panebianco
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ricci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Catalano
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Ciardi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Maria Liuzzi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Claudio Maria Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Masci GM, Izzo A, Bonito G, Marchitelli L, Guiducci E, Ciaglia S, Lucchese S, Corso L, Valenti A, Malzone L, Pasculli P, Ciardi MR, La Torre G, Galardo G, Alessandri F, Vullo F, Manganaro L, Iafrate F, Catalano C, Ricci P. Chest CT features of COVID-19 in vaccinated versus unvaccinated patients: use of CT severity score and outcome analysis. Radiol Med 2023:10.1007/s11547-023-01664-z. [PMID: 37354309 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-023-01664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of vaccination on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and moreover on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia, by assessing the extent of lung disease using the CT severity score (CTSS). METHODS Between September 2021 and February 2022, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients who underwent chest CT were retrospectively enrolled. Anamnestic and clinical data, including vaccination status, were obtained. All CT scans were evaluated by two readers using the CTSS, based on a 25-point scale. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between CTSS and clinical or demographic variables. An outcome analysis was used to differentiate clinical outcome between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. RESULTS Of the 1040 patients (537 males, 503 females; median age 58 years), 678 (65.2%) were vaccinated and 362 (34.8%) unvaccinated. Vaccinated patients showed significantly lower CTSS compared to unvaccinated patients (p < 0.001), also when patients without lung involvement (CTSS = 0) were excluded (p < 0.001). Older age, male gender and lower number of doses administered were associated with higher CTSS, however, in the multivariate analysis, vaccination status resulted to be the variable with the strongest association with CTSS. Clinical outcomes were significantly worse in unvaccinated patients, including higher number of ICU admissions and higher mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS Lung involvement during COVID-19 was significantly less severe in vaccinated patients compared with unvaccinated patients, who also showed worse clinical outcomes. Vaccination status was the strongest variable associated to the severity of COVID-related, more than age, gender, and number of doses administered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Izzo
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Bonito
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Livia Marchitelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Guiducci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Ciaglia
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Lucchese
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Corso
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Valenti
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Malzone
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pasculli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Ciardi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Torre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Gioacchino Galardo
- Medical Emergency Unit, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Alessandri
- Department of Anaesthesiology Critical Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Vullo
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Manganaro
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Iafrate
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Catalano
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ricci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Iafrate F, Ciccarelli F, Masci GM, Grasso D, Marruzzo F, De Felice F, Tombolini V, D'Ambrosio G, Magliocca FM, Cortesi E, Catalano C. Predictive role of diffusion-weighted MRI in the assessment of response to total neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:854-862. [PMID: 35980431 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-09086-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the predictive role of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in the assessment of response to total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). METHODS In this single-center retrospective study, patients with LARC who underwent staging MRI and TNT were enrolled. MRI-based staging, tumor volume, and DWI-ADC values were analyzed. Patients were classified as complete responders (pCR) and non-complete responders (non-pCR), according to post-surgical outcome. Pre-treatment ADC values were compared to pathological outcome, post-treatment downstaging, and reduction of tumor volume. The diagnostic accuracy of DWI-ADC in differentiating between pCR and non-pCR groups was calculated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS A total of 36 patients were evaluated (pCR, n = 20; non-pCR, n = 16). Pre-treatment ADC values were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.034), while no association was found between pre-TNT tumor volume and pathological response. ADC values showed significant correlations with loco-regional downstaging after therapy (r = -0.537, p = 0.022), and with the reduction of tumor volume (r = -0.480, p = 0.044). ADC values were able to differentiate pCR from non-pCR patients with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 70%. CONCLUSIONS ADC values on pre-treatment MRI were strongly associated with the outcome in patients with LARC, both in terms of pathological response and in loco-regional downstaging after TNT, suggesting the use of DW-MRI as a potential predictive tool of response to therapy. KEY POINTS • ADC values of pre-TNT MRI examinations of patients with LARC were significantly associated with a pathological complete response (pCR) and with post-treatment regression of TNM staging. • An ADC value of 1.042 ×10-3 mm2/s was found to be the optimal cutoff value for discriminating between pCR and non-pCR patients, with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 70%. • DW-MRI proved to have a potential predictive role in the assessment of response to therapy in patients with LARC, throughout the analysis of ADC map values.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franco Iafrate
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Fabio Ciccarelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Damiano Grasso
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Marruzzo
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Felice
- Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiotherapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo D'Ambrosio
- Department of General Surgery, Surgical Specialties and Organ Transplantation, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Massimo Magliocca
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Cortesi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Catalano
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nicolardi ML, Oliva A, Masci GM, Ascoli V, Noccioli N, Mantovani S, Palange P. Lung on fire: a very severe case of fire-eater’s lung. Thorax 2022; 77:523-525. [PMID: 35165145 PMCID: PMC9016251 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2021-218470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luisa Nicolardi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessandra Oliva
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
| | - Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Ascoli
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Niccolò Noccioli
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Mantovani
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Palange
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Roma, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Masci GM, Ciccarelli F, Mattei FI, Grasso D, Accarpio F, Catalano C, Laghi A, Sammartino P, Iafrate F. Role of CT texture analysis for predicting peritoneal metastases in patients with gastric cancer. Radiol Med 2022; 127:251-258. [PMID: 35066804 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-021-01443-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Aim of the study was to perform CT texture analysis in patients with gastric cancer (GC) to investigate potential role of radiomics for predicting the occurrence of peritoneal metastases (PM). MATERIALS AND METHODS In this single-centre retrospective study, patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and surgically confirmed presence or absence of PM were, respectively, enrolled in group PM and group non-PM. Patients with T1-staging, previous treatment or presence of imaging artifacts were excluded from the study. Pre-operative CT examinations were evaluated. Acquisition protocol consisted of gastric distension with water, pre-contrast and arterial phases on upper abdomen and portal phase on thorax and whole abdomen. Texture analysis was performed on portal phase images: the region of interest was manually drawn along the margins of the primitive lesion on each slice and the volume of interest of the whole tumour was obtained. A total of 38 texture parameters were extracted and analysed. ROC curves were performed on significant texture features (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression was conducted on features with the best AUC to identify differentiating variables for both groups. RESULTS A total of 90 patients were evaluated (group PM, n = 45; group non-PM, n = 45). T2/T3 tumours were prevalent in group non-PM, T4 was significantly associated with group PM. Significant differences between the two groups were observed for 22/38 texture parameters. Volume and GLRLM_LRHGE showed the greatest AUC in ROC curve analysis (0.737 and 0.734, respectively) and were found to be independent differentiating variables of group PM in the multiple regression analysis (OR 8.44, [95% CI, 1.52-46.8] and OR 18.99 [95% CI, 84-195.31], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary results suggest the potential value of CT texture analysis for predicting the risk of PM from GC, which may be helpful to stratify patients and address them to the most appropriate treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Ciccarelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Ivo Mattei
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Damiano Grasso
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Accarpio
- Department of Surgery "Pietro Valdoni", Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Catalano
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Laghi
- Department of Medical-Surgical and Translational Medicine-Radiology Unit, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Sammartino
- Department of Surgery "Pietro Valdoni", Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Iafrate
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Francone M, Iafrate F, Masci GM, Coco S, Cilia F, Manganaro L, Panebianco V, Andreoli C, Colaiacomo MC, Zingaropoli MA, Ciardi MR, Mastroianni CM, Pugliese F, Alessandri F, Turriziani O, Ricci P, Catalano C. Chest CT score in COVID-19 patients: correlation with disease severity and short-term prognosis. Eur Radiol 2020; 30:6808-6817. [PMID: 32623505 PMCID: PMC7334627 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-020-07033-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 400] [Impact Index Per Article: 100.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Objectives To correlate a CT-based semi-quantitative score of pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 pneumonia with clinical staging of disease and laboratory findings. We also aimed to investigate whether CT findings may be predictive of patients’ outcome. Methods From March 6 to March 22, 2020, 130 symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients were enrolled for this single-center analysis and chest CT examinations were retrospectively evaluated. A semi-quantitative CT score was calculated based on the extent of lobar involvement (0:0%; 1, < 5%; 2:5–25%; 3:26–50%; 4:51–75%; 5, > 75%; range 0–5; global score 0–25). Data were matched with clinical stages and laboratory findings. Survival curves and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the role of CT score as a predictor of patients’ outcome. Results Ground glass opacities were predominant in early-phase (≤ 7 days since symptoms’ onset), while crazy-paving pattern, consolidation, and fibrosis characterized late-phase disease (> 7 days). CT score was significantly higher in critical and severe than in mild stage (p < 0.0001), and among late-phase than early-phase patients (p < 0.0001). CT score was significantly correlated with CRP (p < 0.0001, r = 0.6204) and D-dimer (p < 0.0001, r = 0.6625) levels. A CT score of ≥ 18 was associated with an increased mortality risk and was found to be predictive of death both in univariate (HR, 8.33; 95% CI, 3.19–21.73; p < 0.0001) and multivariate analysis (HR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.10–12.77; p = 0.0348). Conclusions Our preliminary data suggest the potential role of CT score for predicting the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 patients. CT score is highly correlated with laboratory findings and disease severity and might be beneficial to speed-up diagnostic workflow in symptomatic cases. Key Points • CT score is positively correlated with age, inflammatory biomarkers, severity of clinical categories, and disease phases. • A CT score ≥ 18 has shown to be highly predictive of patient’s mortality in short-term follow-up. • Our multivariate analysis demonstrated that CT parenchymal assessment may more accurately reflect short-term outcome, providing a direct visualization of anatomic injury compared with non-specific inflammatory biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Francone
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Iafrate
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Maria Masci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Coco
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Cilia
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Manganaro
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Panebianco
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Andreoli
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Colaiacomo
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonella Zingaropoli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Ciardi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Maria Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pugliese
- Department of Anaesthesiology Critical Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Alessandri
- Department of Anaesthesiology Critical Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Ombretta Turriziani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell'Università 31, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Ricci
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Emergency Radiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Catalano
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|