Pericardial and myocardial involvement after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a cross-sectional descriptive study in healthcare workers.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The cardiac sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection are still poorly documented. We conducted a cross-sectional study in healthcare workers to report evidence of pericardial and myocardial involvement after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS: We studied 139 healthcare workers with confirmed past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants underwent clinical assessment, electrocardiography, and laboratory tests, including immune cell profiling and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Clinically suspected pericarditis was diagnosed when classic criteria were present and clinically suspected myocarditis was based on the combination of at least 2 CMR criteria.

RESULTS: Median age was 52 (41-57) years, 71.9% were women, and 16.5% were previously hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia. On examination (10.4 [9.3-11.0] weeks after infection-like symptoms), participants showed hemodynamic stability. Chest pain, dyspnea or palpitations were present in 41.7% participants, electrocardiographic abnormalities in 49.6%, NT-proBNP elevation in 7.9%, troponin in 0.7%, and CMR abnormalities in 60.4%. A total of 30.9% participants met criteria for either pericarditis and/or myocarditis: isolated pericarditis was diagnosed in 5.8%, myopericarditis in 7.9%, and isolated myocarditis in 17.3%. Most participants (73.2%) showed altered immune cell counts in blood, particularly decreased eosinophil (27.3%; P<.001) and increased cytotoxic T cell numbers (17.3%; P <.001). Clinically suspected pericarditis was associated (P <.005) with particularly elevated cytotoxic T cells and decreased eosinophil counts, while participants diagnosed with clinically suspected myopericarditis or myocarditis had lower (P <.05) neutrophil counts, natural killer-cells, and plasma cells.

CONCLUSIONS: Pericardial and myocardial involvement with clinical stability are frequent after SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with specific immune cell profiles.