Pulmonary Function and CT Scan Finding in CKD Patients After COVID-19 Infection

Follow-up Study of the Pulmonary Function and CT Scan Finding in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients After COVID-19 Infection

COVID-19 is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. CKD requires particular emphasis during the pandemic due to concern for increased susceptibility to infection from greater use of health facilities in people undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 involves multiple organs and lung injury is one of the most clinical manifestations. The binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the ACE2 receptors at target cells ,including type II pneumocytes ,and alveolar macrophages in the lung could arise into acute systemic inflammatory responses and cytokine storm.The consequentially leading to lung-resident dentritic cells (rDCs) activation, T lymphocytes production and release antiviral cytokines into the alveolar septa and interstitial compartments resulting in diffuse alveolar epithelium destruction,hyaline membrane formation, alveolar septal fibrous proliferation and pulmonary fibrosis.Although it has been reported that subgroups of COVID-19 survivors developed persistent lung parenchymal injury that persisted at least after 6 months 5-6 ,the data in CKD patients has not been reported yet.In addition, a study of pulmonary function test after COVID-19 is needed to be investigated.Thus,we plan to assess pulmonary sequalae of COVID-19 in hemodialysis (HD) patients and pulmonary function test after recovered of infection at least 3 months.

This is the prospective,observational cohort study including CKD stage 5 on hemodialysis who survived acute COVID-19 and presented for clinical follow-up after either mild/moderate or severe COVID-19.The study was conducted at Faculty of Medicine ,Vajira Hospital ,Navamindradhiraj University from June 2022 -September 2022.We adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki,and all patients provided written informed consent before inclusion.Ethics approval was obtained from Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to start of the study (COA No 302/64 E).

Inclusion Criteria:

• CKD stage 5 requiring HD or continuous peritoneal dialysis (CAPD ) for more than 3 months
• Age 18-80 years
• Diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and recovered for more than3 months previously

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with history of chronic lung diseases i.e chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and restrictive lung disease.