Clinical investigation of intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) as a biomarker of SARS-CoV-2 infection

SARS-CoV-2 exhibits tropism for the gastrointestinal tract; however, lesions in enterocytes and their correlation with disease severity and patient prognosis are still unknown. SARS-CoV-2 patients were enrolled in 5 medical centres in São Paulo, Brazil and their clinical characteristics and laboratory findings recorded. At admission, day 7 and day 14 of hospitalisation, plasma and urine samples were collected, and cytokine levels and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) concentrations measured. COVID-19 patients displayed ≈48-, 74- and 125-fold increased urinary I-FABP levels at admission (n=283; P