Symptomatic post COVID patients have impaired alveolar capillary membrane function and high VE/VCO2

Respiratory Research

Table 3 Correlation between major cardiorespiratory parameters in 204 patients with post COVID syndrome

	SPB (AU)	DLCOcHb (mL/min/mmHg)	DM (mL/min/mmHg)	Vcap (mL)	VA (L)	peak VO2 (mL/min/kg)	VE/VCO2 slope
% of lung damage	0.161 (p = 0.053)	− 0.248**	− 0.222**	− 0.284**	− 0.176*	− 0.209*	0.064
SPB (AU)		− 0.244**	− 0.169*	− 0.325**	− 0.079	− 0.214**	0.145*
DLCOcHb (mL/min/mmHg)			0.914**	0.848**	0.799**	0.573**	− 0.364**
DM (mL/min/mmHg)				0.675**	0.769**	0.603**	− 0.331**
Vcap (mL)					0.558**	0.465**	− 0.260**
VA (L)						0.459**	− 0.331**
peak VO₂ (mL/min/kg)							− 0.479**

SPB: surfactant binding protein; AU: arbitrary unit; DLCOcHb: diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (data corrected for hemoglobin); DM: membrane diffusion; Vcap: capillary volume; VA: alveolar volume; peak VO₂: peak oxygen intake; VE/VCO₂ slope: minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production relationship
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01

ISSN: 1465-993X