TY - JOUR
T1 - All eyes on PCS
T2 - analysis of the retinal microvasculature in patients with post-COVID syndrome—study protocol of a 1 year prospective case–control study
AU - Kuchler, Timon
AU - Hausinger, Renate
AU - Braunisch, Matthias C.
AU - Günthner, Roman
AU - Wicklein, Rebecca
AU - Knier, Benjamin
AU - Bleidißel, Nathalie
AU - Maier, Matthias
AU - Ribero, Andrea
AU - Lech, Maciej
AU - Adorjan, Kristina
AU - Stubbe, Hans
AU - Kotilar, Konstantin
AU - Heemann, Uwe
AU - Schmaderer, Christoph
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Since widespread vaccination against COVID-19, the development of effective antiviral drugs, and the decreasing number of patients with COVID-19 in intensive care, the risk from SARS-CoV-2 infection appears less threatening. However, studies show that a significant number of patients suffer from long-term sequelae, even months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The so-called post-COVID syndrome (PCS) often presents a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians. This study protocol describes the “All Eyes on PCS” study, which aims to investigate the retinal microvasculature in PCS patients and COVID-19-recovered patients to provide new insights into the pathophysiology of PCS. “All Eyes on PCS” is a prospective, case–control study with the primary objective of detecting endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with PCS. Therefore, we intend to recruit patients with PCS, fully SARS-CoV-2-infection-recovered (CR) participants, and SARS-CoV-2-infection-naïve (CN) participants. Baseline measurements will include: (1) patient-specific characteristics, (2) biochemistry, (3) retinal vessel analysis (RVA), (4) survey questionnaires as patient-reported outcomes measurements (PROMs), (5) optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), and adaptive optics (AO), (6) blood pressure recordings, (7) handgrip strength test. After 6 months, baseline measurements will be repeated in the PCS cohort, and after 1 year, a telephone query will be conducted to assess residual symptoms and treatment needs. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the pathophysiology of PCS and to provide an objective biomarker for diagnosis and treatment, while also creating a comprehensive clinical database of PCS patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05635552; Date: 2.12.2022.
AB - Since widespread vaccination against COVID-19, the development of effective antiviral drugs, and the decreasing number of patients with COVID-19 in intensive care, the risk from SARS-CoV-2 infection appears less threatening. However, studies show that a significant number of patients suffer from long-term sequelae, even months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The so-called post-COVID syndrome (PCS) often presents a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians. This study protocol describes the “All Eyes on PCS” study, which aims to investigate the retinal microvasculature in PCS patients and COVID-19-recovered patients to provide new insights into the pathophysiology of PCS. “All Eyes on PCS” is a prospective, case–control study with the primary objective of detecting endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with PCS. Therefore, we intend to recruit patients with PCS, fully SARS-CoV-2-infection-recovered (CR) participants, and SARS-CoV-2-infection-naïve (CN) participants. Baseline measurements will include: (1) patient-specific characteristics, (2) biochemistry, (3) retinal vessel analysis (RVA), (4) survey questionnaires as patient-reported outcomes measurements (PROMs), (5) optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), and adaptive optics (AO), (6) blood pressure recordings, (7) handgrip strength test. After 6 months, baseline measurements will be repeated in the PCS cohort, and after 1 year, a telephone query will be conducted to assess residual symptoms and treatment needs. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the pathophysiology of PCS and to provide an objective biomarker for diagnosis and treatment, while also creating a comprehensive clinical database of PCS patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05635552; Date: 2.12.2022.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Endothelial dysfunction
KW - Long-COVID
KW - Post-COVID syndrome
KW - Retinal microvasculature
KW - SARS-CoV-2
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85178213922&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00406-023-01724-5
DO - 10.1007/s00406-023-01724-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85178213922
SN - 0940-1334
VL - 274
SP - 1847
EP - 1856
JO - European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
JF - European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
IS - 8
ER -