Abstract
Introduction: It has been reported that COVID-19 may cause
severe endothelial damage. Pulmonary Artery Stiffness (PAS) is a strong
predictor of right ventricular function. PAS can reveal important
information about the endothelial functions of the pulmonary bed. In
this study we aimed to elucidate the possible effect of COVID-19 on PAS.
Materials & Method: The study was performed by measuring PAS
values with transthoracic echocardiography in 130 patients, 60 of whom
had COVID-19 and 70 were controls. COVID-19 patients with positive
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results were included in the study
3-6 months after their positivity. Results: When the Maximal
frequency shift (MFS) (Hz) results were examined, no significant
difference was observed between the patient and control groups
(2764 ± 279.24 and 2664.8 ± 673.91 p=0.340, respectively). There
was a significant difference between the patient and control groups in
favor of the patient group in pulmonary acceleration time (PAT)
(msec) results (93.18 ± 14.99 and 126.1 ± 17.58,
respectively, p<0.001) . There was a significant difference
between the patient and control groups in favor of the patient group in
pulmonary artery stiffness (PAS) (Hz/msec) results (30.28 ±
5.07 and 21.57 ± 7.04, respectively, p<0.001).
Conclusion: It is possible that COVID19 may have adverse
effects on the pulmonary artery wall and bed. As a result of endothelial
damage due to COVID-19, an increase in PAS values can be observed.