BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Clinical Infectious Diseases
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1480123
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvanced Monitoring in ARDS: Enhancing Mechanical Ventilation through Innovative TechniquesView all articles
Effect of Prone Positioning on Inflammatory markers in blood and lungs: A retrospective cohort study in COVID-19-related ARDS
Provisionally accepted
- Xiangtan Central Hospital, Xiangtan, China
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Introduction: Prone positioning is a commonly recommended intervention in clinical practice to enhance oxygenation in COVID-19 patients with ARDS, but its effects on inflammatory markers in the blood and lungs have not been thoroughly investigated.Methods: This retrospective study examined COVID-19-related ARDS patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary hospital between January 2020 and November 2023. The analysis focused on measuring cytokines and lymphocyte subsets in both blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to evaluate the impact of prone positioning on inflammatory markers in the lungs and systemic circulation.Results: Of the 86 intubated patients, 44 were included in the study, with 30 undergoing prone positioning. Compared to the supine position, prone positioning was associated with elevated plasma levels of IL-12p70 and IL-4, as well as increased expression of IFN-α and TNF-α in BALF. With increased frequency of prone positioning, oxygenation progressively improved, accompanied by a rise in plasma IL-4 levels. No significant differences in peripheral blood lymphocyte levels were observed between the supine and prone groups.This study sheds light on the potential mechanisms of prone positioning in both local and systemic circulation, particularly in the context of inflammatory markers. In COVID-19-related ARDS, prone positioning may strengthen the immune response by modulating inflammatory markers in the lungs and bloodstream.
Keywords: Prone Position, Inflammatory biomarker, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid, COVID-19, Lymphocyte Subsets
Received: 13 Aug 2024; Accepted: 02 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hu, Peng, Liu, Yang, Zhang, Deng, Li and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ming Yan Jiang, Xiangtan Central Hospital, Xiangtan, China
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