{"title":"Hypothalamic-Pituitary Adrenal Axis Status 3 Months After Recovery From COVID-19 Infection.","authors":"Rashmi K G, Nandhini Perumal, Anusha Cherian, Mukta Wyawahare, Aravind Prasad, Jayaprakash Sahoo, Sadish Kumar Kamalanathan, Anusuya R, Dukhabandhu Naik","doi":"10.1080/07435800.2023.2245907","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Context: </strong>Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) predominantly involves the lungs, albeit many other organ systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, can be affected due to the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding receptor. Few studies have reported the involvement of adrenal gland and the HPA axis during the acute phase of COVID-19; however, the data on the long-term effect of COVID-19 on the HPA axis after acute infection is scarce.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess and compare the changes in HPA axis in mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 categories at ≥ 3 months after acute infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective, observational study was conducted to assess the HPA axis status among COVID-19 subjects at least 3 months after recovery from acute infection. The study was conducted from June 2021 to May 2022. Subjects visited the hospital in the fasting state (8.00-9.00am), serum cortisol levels were measured at baseline, 30 and 60 minutes after a 1-μg short Synacthen test (SST).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 66 subjects ≥ 18 years of age were included in the study. The mean age (SD) was 49.13 ± 11.9 years, 45(68.18%) were male and 21 (31.81%) were female subjects. The mean BMI in the study was 25.91 ± 4.26 kg/m<sup>2</sup>. Seventeen (25.8%) subjects had mild, twelve (18.2%) had moderate and thirty-seven (56.1%) subjects had severe COVID-19 infection. Out of the sixty-six subjects with COVID-19, nine subjects (9/66, 13.63%) had peak serum cortisol < 496.62 nmol/L suggestive of adrenal insufficiency (AI). SST peak serum cortisol levels did not differ significantly across the disease severity [Mild, (628.50 ± 214.65 nmol/L) vs moderate, [603.39 ± 161.95 nmol/L) vs severe, (597.59 ± 163.05 nmol/L), <i>P</i> = 0.617]. Six subjects with AI came for follow-up at 12 months, and all had normal HPA axis.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HPA axis is affected in 13.63% (9/66) of subjects at least 3 months after recovery from COVID-19 infection. AI in COVID-19 might be transient and would recover spontaneously. These findings have important implications for the clinical care and long-term follow-up of subjects after COVID-19 infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":11601,"journal":{"name":"Endocrine Research","volume":" ","pages":"85-93"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"2","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Endocrine Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/07435800.2023.2245907","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/8/11 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 2
Abstract
Context: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) predominantly involves the lungs, albeit many other organ systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, can be affected due to the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding receptor. Few studies have reported the involvement of adrenal gland and the HPA axis during the acute phase of COVID-19; however, the data on the long-term effect of COVID-19 on the HPA axis after acute infection is scarce.
Objective: To assess and compare the changes in HPA axis in mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 categories at ≥ 3 months after acute infection.
Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted to assess the HPA axis status among COVID-19 subjects at least 3 months after recovery from acute infection. The study was conducted from June 2021 to May 2022. Subjects visited the hospital in the fasting state (8.00-9.00am), serum cortisol levels were measured at baseline, 30 and 60 minutes after a 1-μg short Synacthen test (SST).
Results: A total of 66 subjects ≥ 18 years of age were included in the study. The mean age (SD) was 49.13 ± 11.9 years, 45(68.18%) were male and 21 (31.81%) were female subjects. The mean BMI in the study was 25.91 ± 4.26 kg/m2. Seventeen (25.8%) subjects had mild, twelve (18.2%) had moderate and thirty-seven (56.1%) subjects had severe COVID-19 infection. Out of the sixty-six subjects with COVID-19, nine subjects (9/66, 13.63%) had peak serum cortisol < 496.62 nmol/L suggestive of adrenal insufficiency (AI). SST peak serum cortisol levels did not differ significantly across the disease severity [Mild, (628.50 ± 214.65 nmol/L) vs moderate, [603.39 ± 161.95 nmol/L) vs severe, (597.59 ± 163.05 nmol/L), P = 0.617]. Six subjects with AI came for follow-up at 12 months, and all had normal HPA axis.
Conclusion: HPA axis is affected in 13.63% (9/66) of subjects at least 3 months after recovery from COVID-19 infection. AI in COVID-19 might be transient and would recover spontaneously. These findings have important implications for the clinical care and long-term follow-up of subjects after COVID-19 infection.
期刊介绍：
This journal publishes original articles relating to endocrinology in the broadest context. Subjects of interest include: receptors and mechanism of action of hormones, methodological advances in the detection and measurement of hormones; structure and chemical properties of hormones. Invitations to submit Brief Reviews are issued to specific authors by the Editors.
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