• A N Frix, L Schoneveld, A Ladang, M Henket, B Duysinx, F Vaillant, B Misset, M Moutschen, R Louis, E Cavalier, and J Guiot.
• Department of Respiratory Medicine, CHU Liège, University Hospital of Liège, Domaine Universitaire du Sart-Tilman, B35, 4000, Liège, Belgium. an.frix@chuliege.be.
• Resp Res. 2020 Nov 24; 21 (1): 309.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease COVID-19 has become a public health emergency of international concern. Together with the quest for an effective treatment, the question of the post-infectious evolution of affected patients in healing process remains uncertain. Krebs von den Lungen 6 (KL-6) is a high molecular weight mucin-like glycoprotein produced by type II pneumocytes and bronchial epithelial cells. Its production is raised during epithelial lesions and cellular regeneration. In COVID-19 infection, KL-6 serum levels could therefore be of interest for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic response evaluation.Materials And MethodsOur study retrospectively compared KL-6 levels between a cohort of 83 COVID-19 infected patients and two other groups: healthy subjects (n = 70) on one hand, and a heterogenous group of patients suffering from interstitial lung diseases (n = 31; composed of 16 IPF, 4 sarcoidosis, 11 others) on the other hand. Demographical, clinical and laboratory indexes were collected. Our study aims to compare KL-6 levels between a COVID-19 population and healthy subjects or patients suffering from interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Ultimately, we ought to determine whether KL-6 could be a marker of disease severity and bad prognosis.ResultsOur results showed that serum KL-6 levels in COVID-19 patients were increased compared to healthy subjects, but to a lesser extent than in patients suffering from ILD. Increased levels of KL-6 in COVID-19 patients were associated with a more severe lung disease.Discussion And ConclusionOur results suggest that KL-6 could be a good biomarker to assess ILD severity in COVID-19 infection. Concerning the therapeutic response prediction, more studies are necessary.

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