Pulmonary Vascular Dysfunction as a Cause of Persistent Exertional Dyspnea After Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

NCT ID: NCT05374577

Last Updated: 2025-09-04

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

200 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-15

Study Completion Date

2025-12-31

Brief Summary

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To identify pulmonary vascular disease in post/long-COVID-19 patients as a cause of dyspnea/exercise limitation and to differentiate it from other causes of dyspnea

Detailed Description

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The aim is to identify pulmonary vascular disease in post/long-COVID-19 patients as a cause of dyspnea/exercise limitation and to differentiate it from other causes of dyspnea (muscular, left cardiac, psychological, deconditioning-related causes) by investigating ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch and (exercise-induced) pulmonary hypertension (PH) or right heart dysfunction.

Conditions

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COVID-19

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Patients with a suspected diagnosis of post/long-COVID-19

Patients with a suspected post-COVID-19 syndrome or a long-COVID-19 syndrome at least 3 months after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(CoV) type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (symptomatic or asymptomatic)

pulmonary vascular dysfunction

Intervention Type OTHER

Right ventricular function determined by echocardiography at rest and during exercise (non-invasive estimation of ventilation-perfusion mismatch), systemic endothelial function, left heart function, and plasma levels of vasoactive biomarkers compared with clinical parameters of dyspnea and exercise capacity. Further examinations will be performed in patients with still unclear cause of persistent shortness of breath after 3 months of follow-up (subgroup RHC)

Patients without post/long-COVID-19 Syndrome

Patients at least 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection (symptomatic or asymptomatic) without post/long-COVID-19.

pulmonary vascular function

Intervention Type OTHER

Right ventricular function determined by echocardiography at rest and during exercise (non-invasive estimation of ventilation-perfusion mismatch), systemic endothelial function, and plasma levels of vasoactive biomarkers compared with clinical parameters of dyspnea and exercise capacity.

Interventions

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pulmonary vascular dysfunction

Right ventricular function determined by echocardiography at rest and during exercise (non-invasive estimation of ventilation-perfusion mismatch), systemic endothelial function, left heart function, and plasma levels of vasoactive biomarkers compared with clinical parameters of dyspnea and exercise capacity. Further examinations will be performed in patients with still unclear cause of persistent shortness of breath after 3 months of follow-up (subgroup RHC)

Intervention Type OTHER

pulmonary vascular function

Right ventricular function determined by echocardiography at rest and during exercise (non-invasive estimation of ventilation-perfusion mismatch), systemic endothelial function, and plasma levels of vasoactive biomarkers compared with clinical parameters of dyspnea and exercise capacity.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age ≥ 18 years, patients with a suspected diagnosis of post/long-COVID-19 syndrome who present to our pneumology or infectious disease outpatient clinic or corresponding ward from the start of the study and whose SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed at least 3 and not longer than 18 months prior to presentation
* Patients at least 3 and not longer than 18 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection without post/long-COVID-19 syndrome who present to our post-infection outpatient clinic for follow-up

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients who refuse to participate in the study
* Severe underlying chronic pulmonary, cardiac, or systemic disease (e.g., Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), severe heart failure, neuromuscular disease) that was diagnosed prior to acute COVID-19 disease and whose progression appears likely as the cause of dyspnea
* Other non pneumologic causes of dyspnea (e.g., hemoglobin \< 100 g/L)
* Unstable or acute disease (e.g., acute infection, acute renal failure, acute coronary syndrome)
* Inability to perform spiroergometry, including transient orthopedic problems, contraindications to central venous and arterial catheter placement (e.g., severe bleeding tendency).
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Giessen

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Natascha Sommer, PD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Cardiopulmonary Institute (CPI), University of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC)

Locations

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Natascha Sommer

Giessen, , Germany

Site Status

Countries

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Germany

References

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33753937 (View on PubMed)

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34526314 (View on PubMed)

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Kjaergaard S, Rees S, Malczynski J, Nielsen JA, Thorgaard P, Toft E, Andreassen S. Non-invasive estimation of shunt and ventilation-perfusion mismatch. Intensive Care Med. 2003 May;29(5):727-34. doi: 10.1007/s00134-003-1708-0. Epub 2003 Apr 16.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12698242 (View on PubMed)

Thomsen LP, Karbing DS, Smith BW, Murley D, Weinreich UM, Kjaergaard S, Toft E, Thorgaard P, Andreassen S, Rees SE. Clinical refinement of the automatic lung parameter estimator (ALPE). J Clin Monit Comput. 2013 Jun;27(3):341-50. doi: 10.1007/s10877-013-9442-9. Epub 2013 Feb 21.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23430364 (View on PubMed)

Trinkmann F, Benck U, Halder J, Semmelweis A, Saur J, Borggrefe M, Akin I, Kaden JJ. Automated Noninvasive Central Blood Pressure Measurements by Oscillometric Radial Pulse Wave Analysis: Results of the MEASURE-cBP Validation Studies. Am J Hypertens. 2021 Apr 20;34(4):383-393. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpaa174.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18421437 (View on PubMed)

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33483331 (View on PubMed)

Sonnweber T, Sahanic S, Pizzini A, Luger A, Schwabl C, Sonnweber B, Kurz K, Koppelstatter S, Haschka D, Petzer V, Boehm A, Aichner M, Tymoszuk P, Lener D, Theurl M, Lorsbach-Kohler A, Tancevski A, Schapfl A, Schaber M, Hilbe R, Nairz M, Puchner B, Huttenberger D, Tschurtschenthaler C, Asshoff M, Peer A, Hartig F, Bellmann R, Joannidis M, Gollmann-Tepekoylu C, Holfeld J, Feuchtner G, Egger A, Hoermann G, Schroll A, Fritsche G, Wildner S, Bellmann-Weiler R, Kirchmair R, Helbok R, Prosch H, Rieder D, Trajanoski Z, Kronenberg F, Woll E, Weiss G, Widmann G, Loffler-Ragg J, Tancevski I. Cardiopulmonary recovery after COVID-19: an observational prospective multicentre trial. Eur Respir J. 2021 Apr 29;57(4):2003481. doi: 10.1183/13993003.03481-2020. Print 2021 Apr.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34027514 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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KKS-300

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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