BackgroundA standardised approach to assessing COVID-19 survivors has not been established, largely due to the paucity of data on medium- and long-term sequelae. Interval chest radiograph is recommended following community-acquired pneumonia, however its utility in monitoring recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia remains unclear.MethodsProspective single-centre observational cohort study. Patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19 pneumonia (admission duration ≥48 h and oxygen requirement ≥40% or critical care admission) underwent face-to-face assessment 4–6 weeks post-discharge. Primary outcome: radiological resolution of COVID-19 pneumonitis (Radiographic Assessment of Lung Oedema score <5). Secondary outcomes: clinical outcomes, symptom questionnaires, mental health screening (Trauma Screening Questionnaire, GAD-7, PHQ-9), physiological testing (4-metre gait speed (4MGS), 1-minute sit-to-stand test (STS)).Results119 patients assessed between 3rd June and 2nd July 2020 at median (IQR) 61 (51–67) days post-discharge. Mean±sd age 58.7±14.4 years, body mass index 30.0 (25.9–35.2) kg·m−2, 62% male, 68% ethnic minority. Despite radiographic resolution of pulmonary infiltrates in 87%, mMRC breathlessness scores were above pre-COVID baseline in 46% and patients reported persistent fatigue (68%), sleep disturbance (57%) and breathlessness (32%). Screening thresholds were breached for post-traumatic stress disorder (25%), anxiety (22%) and depression (18%). 4MGS was slow (<0.8 m·s−1) in 38%, 35% desaturated by ≥4% during STS. Of 56 thoracic computed tomography scans performed, 75% demonstrated COVID-related interstitial and/or airways disease.ConclusionsPersistent symptoms, adverse mental health outcomes and physiological impairment are common 2 months after severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Follow-up chest radiograph is a poor marker of recovery, therefore holistic face-to-face assessment is recommended to facilitate early recognition and management of post-COVID sequelae.

Severe asthma is associated with the activation of circulating CD8(+) T cells but not CD4(+) T cells. This response is correlated with the downregulation of miR-146a/b and miR-28-5p, as well as changes in the expression of multiple species of lncRNA that might regulate CD8(+) T-cell function.

A sthma is a chronic inflammatory disease which is accompanied by extensive changes in normal airway tissue architecture, termed remodeling (1, 2). Airway remodeling in asthma comprises epithelial dysfunction, hypertrophy of the mucus glands, subepithelial vascularization, and changes in extracellular matrix composition (2). In addition, airway smooth muscle (ASM) from people suffering with asthma exhibits enhanced proliferative (3) and migratory responses (4, 5), as well as increased secretion of a myriad of pro-inflammatory cytokines/ chemokines and growth factors (6). The mechanisms that underly the exaggerated function of ASM in asthma are unknown.Smooth muscle responses to diverse stimuli are controlled by changes in the concentration of free cytosolic Ca 2ϩ ([Ca 2ϩ ] i ). Elevation of [Ca 2ϩ ] i results from increased Ca 2ϩ influx across the plasma membrane following activation of Ca 2ϩ -permeable ion channels and the Na ϩ -Ca 2ϩ -exchanger (NCX, 3Na ϩ :1Ca 2ϩ ), and by release of stored Ca 2ϩ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), in turn triggered by inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3 ) or ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels (7). Termination of the cytosolic Ca 2ϩ signal occurs by extracellular removal of cytosolic Ca 2ϩ by the NCX and by its rapid sequestration into SR stores by the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2ϩ (SERCA) pump (7). Impaired replenishment of SR stores arising from reduced activity of the SERCA pump could impact on a wide range of Ca 2ϩ -dependent smooth muscle functions (8) and abnormal Ca 2ϩ handling by ASM has previously been proposed to be an important determinant of the airway hyperresponsiveness that is characteristically present in asthma (9, 10).There are 3 tissue-specific members of the mammalian SERCA family, SERCA1, SERCA2 and SERCA3, each encoded by a separate gene (ATP2A1, ATP2A2, and ATP2A3) (11), with SERCA2 being the most highly expressed in smooth muscle (12, 13). The function of the different isoforms of SERCA2 is similar (14). We have investigated if the secretory and hyperproliferative phenotype of ASM in asthma is associated with impaired SERCA isoform expression. Results SERCA2Expression. SERCA2 mRNA expression was reduced in ASM cells cultured from patients with moderate, but not mild asthma compared with cells derived from healthy subjects (P ϭ 0.04, Fig. 1A). Western immunoblot showed a single band for SERCA2 at the expected size (Ϸ110 kDa) in ASM lysates (Fig. 1). SERCA2 protein expression was correspondingly reduced in ASM cells from patients with moderate asthma (P ϭ 0.015, Fig. 1B). In contrast, IP 3 R1 mRNA and protein expression did not differ between asthmatics and controls ( Fig. 1 A and B), suggesting the change in SERCA2 was not the result of a reduction in total SR. Transcripts for SERCA1, and SERCA3 were not detected in ASM. Further experiments using SERCA2A, SERCA2B, and SERCA2C specific primers demonstrated that predominant isoform in ASM is SERCA2B with the other isoforms expressed at very low levels around the limit of detection. The pattern of ...