Researchers from the region have discovered salivary biomarkers for diagnosing persistent coronavirus in children

MURcia (EP). Team led group “Immunity, inflammation and cancer” in collaboration with Interlab Group of the University of Murcia (UMU) defined a set biomarkers in saliva This could revolutionize the diagnosis and assessment of the severity of persistent Covid in children, according to education sources in a statement.

This new method, published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infectious Microbiology, represents a new approach to diagnosing and treating this infection in the affected pediatric population, which can seriously harm their development.

Until now, there has been no specific test to detect these lasting effects. In addition, for the first time, it provides a tool to quickly and easily predict whether the disease will develop and to what extent.

Researchers led Sergio Candel, Victoriano Mulero and Maria Luisa Cayuela, they found a signal in saliva. The results showed that boys and girls with this pathology had high levels of oxidative biomarkers, while the opposite occurred for biomarkers related to immune response, antioxidant capacity and stress.

In addition, using levels of various salivary biomarkers, predictive models have been developed that allow us to predict who is most likely to develop persistent Covid and with what severity, making it possible to tailor monitoring and treatment to each case from a very early age. moment.

This study highlights the importance of detecting diseases through saliva, and not just by extracting and testing blood, hair or skin. The findings open the door for future studies aimed at exploring the diagnostic and prognostic value of these biomarkers for predicting the development of this and other diseases in both children and adults.

“We hope that this progress can lead to rapid and non-invasive diagnostic tests that will facilitate early identification and treatment. The findings open the door for future studies aimed at exploring the prognostic value of these biomarkers in predicting the evolution of this disease. disease in sick children,” says Sergio Kandel.

He collaborated with the UMU team Murcian Institute of Biosanitary Research Pascual Parrilla (IMIB) and the pediatric persistent Covid unit of the pediatric service of the German University Hospital Trias i Pujol in Badalona. “This interdisciplinary collaboration was fundamental to achieving these important results,” concludes researcher Maria Luisa Cajuela.