Plasma CXCL13 and fibrosis biomarkers in COVID-19 compared with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health, particularly evident in the detection of lung lesions via chest computed tomography scans. This study investigates the role of biomarkers in lung injury among COVID-19 patients and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This single-center prospective study included 154 hospitalized and 10 outpatient COVID-19 patients, 62 IPF patients, and 40 healthy volunteers, and evaluated biomarkers of alveolar epithelial cell dysfunction, extracellular matrix (ECM) and fibroblast dysfunction, and macrophage/monocyte activation (Galectin-3, CXCL13). Findings were further validated in an independant confirmation cohort (DisCoVeRy trial). COVID-19 patients had higher levels of biomarkers compared to healthy controls, except for SP-D. Compared to IPF patients, COVID-19 patients had significantly higher plasma levels of OPN, Galectin-3 and CXCL13 at admission. Elevated CXCL13 and Galectin-3 levels in COVID-19 were associated with greater lung injury. Multivariate logistic regression and Kaplan Meier analysis confirmed the role of CXCL13 in predicting severe lung injury (odd ratio 3.17, 95% CI 1.03-9.76) and in-hospital mortality (p = 0.04), with consistent results observed in the confirmation cohort. COVID-19 is characterized by increased ECM and macrophage activation biomarkers compared with IPF. CXCL13 may serve as a relevant biomarker for assessing lung injury and improving risk stratification at hospital admission.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2026-06-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-55451-7
Primary Topic
Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Plasma CXCL13 and fibrosis biomarkers in COVID-19 compared with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Claire Roger, M. Murris‐Espin, Tristan Ferry, Antoine Altdorfer et al.
Scientific Reports
Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
article

Plasma CXCL13 and fibrosis biomarkers in COVID-19 compared with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Claire Roger, M. Murris‐Espin, Tristan Ferry, Antoine Altdorfer, Olivier Sanchez, Denis Garot, Matthieu Revest, Solen Kernéis, C Ficko, Murielle Fartoukh, Marie Lachâtre, Nicolas Terzi, Vincent Le Moing, Yoann Zerbib, Vincent Fraipont, Michael Joannidis, Jean Dellamonica, Hélène Espérou, Loïc Epelboin, An Nguyen, Francois Stefan, David Bougon, Olivier Bouchaud, Félix Djossou, Guillaume Thiéry, François Bénézit, Richard Greil, Jean‐Michel Molina, Jean‐Luc Diehl, Nathan Peiffer‐Smadja, Nicolas Gendron, Florent Valour, Bernd Lamprecht, Leïla Belkhir, Didier Gruson, Yves Hansmann, Jérôme Aboab, O. Hinschberger, Maya Hites, Bruno Laviolle, Hafid Ait‐Oufella, Béatrice Riu-Poulenc, Kada Klouche, Cyrille Chabartier, Paul Loubet, Jean‐Sébastien Hulot, Xavier Monnet, Samy Figueiredo, Cédric Bruel, Aurélien Philippe, Jean‐Pierre Quenot, Julien Textoris, Jeanne Rancic, Paul Le Turnier, D Boutoille, Louis Bernard, Catherine Chirouze, Julien Mayaux, F Bani-Sadr, Claire Andréjak, Karine Faure, Pascal Andreu, Yves Le Tulzo, Denis Malvy, Charles Cazanave, Carla Rial, Benjamin Gaborit, Jérôme Le Pavec, Clément R. Massonnaud, Naomi Sayre, Armand Mekontso-Dessap, Katharina Rus, Alexander Egle, Charles Tacquard, Walid Oulehri, Jean-Paul Mira, Alexandre Boyer, Fabrice Laine, Amandine Caro, David Lebeaux, Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Marc Martinot, Gilles Pialoux, Marie-Julie Ngo Um Tegue, Emmanuel Canet, Aurélie Fayol, Audrey Buffet, Flora Crockett, Hilario Nunes, Valérie Godard, François Vardon-Bounes, Marie Brossard, Claire Cameli, Marion Livrozet, DisCoVeRy Study Group, Benoît Pilmis, Charles-Hugo Marquette, Ferhat Meziani, Sandrine Couffin-Cadièrgues
article en

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global health, particularly evident in the detection of lung lesions via chest computed tomography scans. This study investigates the role of biomarkers in lung injury among COVID-19 patients and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This single-center prospective study included 154 hospitalized and 10 outpatient COVID-19 patients, 62 IPF patients, and 40 healthy volunteers, and evaluated biomarkers of alveolar epithelial cell dysfunction, extracellular matrix (ECM) and fibroblast dysfunction, and macrophage/monocyte activation (Galectin-3, CXCL13). Findings were further validated in an independant confirmation cohort (DisCoVeRy trial). COVID-19 patients had higher levels of biomarkers compared to healthy controls, except for SP-D. Compared to IPF patients, COVID-19 patients had significantly higher plasma levels of OPN, Galectin-3 and CXCL13 at admission. Elevated CXCL13 and Galectin-3 levels in COVID-19 were associated with greater lung injury. Multivariate logistic regression and Kaplan Meier analysis confirmed the role of CXCL13 in predicting severe lung injury (odd ratio 3.17, 95% CI 1.03-9.76) and in-hospital mortality (p = 0.04), with consistent results observed in the confirmation cohort. COVID-19 is characterized by increased ECM and macrophage activation biomarkers compared with IPF. CXCL13 may serve as a relevant biomarker for assessing lung injury and improving risk stratification at hospital admission.

Scientific Reports
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR), Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc (BE), Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE), Innsbruck Medical University (AT), Université de Bordeaux (FR), Inserm (FR), Universität Innsbruck (AT), Université Paris Cité (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Paracelsus Medical University (AT), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble (FR), Hai phong University Of Medicine and Pharmacy (VN), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse (FR), Hai Phong University (VN), Sorbonne Université (FR), Centre Hospitalier Chrétien (BE), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon (FR), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (FR), Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR), Hopitaux Civils de Colmar (FR), Hôpital Cochin (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Amiens-Picardie (FR), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR), Hospices Civils de Lyon (FR), Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou (FR), Hôpital Saint-Antoine (FR), Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims (FR), Bordeaux Population Health (FR), Hôpital Européen (FR), Centre Hospitalier Andrée Rosemon (GF), CHU Dijon Bourgogne (FR), Kepler Universitätsklinikum (AT), Hôpital Marie Lannelongue (FR), Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (FR), Hôpital Avicenne (FR), Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Bégin (FR), Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor (FR), Paris Cardiovascular Research Center (FR), Centre Hospitalier Annecy Genevois (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (BE), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Martinique (MQ), Hôpital Paris Saint-Joseph (FR), Hôpital Saint-Louis (FR), Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard (FR), Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg (FR), Centre Hospitalier Saint-Denis (FR), Groupe Hospitalier de la Région de Mulhouse et Sud Alsace (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint-Étienne (FR), Bicêtre Hospital (FR), Hôpital Tenon (FR), Infection, Anti-microbiens, Modélisation, Evolution (FR), UCLouvain (BE), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (FR)
Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Fondation de France
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
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