A group from University of Ferrara, etc. has reported on the difference in biomarkers between ICU patients with COVID-19-related ARDS and classical ARDS.
https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-021-03499-4
Evaluated marker were as follow, Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE), Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2)、soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), E-Selectin, and P-Selectin.
Ang-2 is a growth factor (glycoprotein) promoting vascularization,
ICAM-1 is a member of immunoglobulin superfamily and a ligand for activated leukocytes,
VCAM-1 functions as a cell adhesion molecule like ICAM-1, but is usually not expressed on endothelial cells, and needs IL-1, TNF-α stimulations,
E-Selectin is a leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion molecule expressed on vascular endothelial cells,
P-Selectin is a leukocyte adhesion molecule, and expressed in platelets and vascular endothelial cells.
RAGE has almost no relationship with COVDI-19 suggesting that the ARDS is caused by virus infection. Ang-2, ICAM-1, BVCAM-1, and E-Selectin are higher in COVID-19 (P-Selectin is lower on the contrary) suggesting that vascular endothelial cells are heavily damaged in ICU patients of COVID-19.