After recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), up to 69% of patients will be diagnosed with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Memory loss, gastrointestinal (GI) pain, weariness, insomnia, and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of PASC, which can be noticed four or more weeks after the first diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
The extensive list of possible symptoms that PASC may generate as well as the numerous probable causes of it emphasize the urgent need for a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder.
At the time of initial diagnosis until the early stages of recovery, researchers in a recent Cell study perform a longitudinal multi-omic analysis on COVID-19 patients. By combining these data, the researchers were able to recognize, measure, and describe the several immunological elements that might be involved in the emergence of PASC.
The INCOV group consisted of 457 healthy controls and a total of 209 patients who reported with acute COVID-19. Three time points were used to collect the blood: T1, T2, and T3, which corresponded to the patients’ clinical diagnosis, acute illness, and convalescence, respectively. Two to three months following the discovery of the first infection signs, convalescence samples were obtained.
The existence of autoantibodies (autoAbs), SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, and their proteomic profiles were evaluated in each blood sampleIndividuals were more likely to have more than three PASC symptoms if they had a history of type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), higher red blood cell (RBC) counts at T1, or were female.
At T3, it was discovered that several biomarkers correlated with various PASC symptoms. For instance, cortisol levels were lower at T1 and T2 among patients who had previously received steroid therapy during the acute condition, but not at T3.
Individuals with neurological complaints were more likely to have high concentrations of proteins that interfere with circadian rhythmicity. Significantly more T3 patients with three or more symptoms had lower cortisol levels as well as higher levels of these circadian rhythm proteins.
previous research
