They identify possible cause of persistent Covid cases
Headaches, muscle pain, hair loss, anosmia (loss of smell), compulsive sneezing, tachycardia, fatigue… are just some of the symptoms of persistent Covid. Research into the origins of long-term Covid cases has not stopped. A new analysis of blood samples from patients with persistent or long-term Covid, carried out The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) found that changes in serum proteins are the likely culprit.. The findings highlight potential biomarkers for diagnosing long-term coronavirus disease and may shed light on treatment for the disease.
It is important to remember that not everyone fully recovers from Covid-19. Approximately 20% of patients are diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2, and about 5% of all people infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop persistent symptoms.called long covid, which can persist for many months.
Persistent or long Covid does not require effective treatment
Symptoms of long Covid can include fatigue, post-exercise malaise and cognitive impairment, and can affect multiple organs. Although previous studies have shown that Patients with persistent Covid show signs of immune dysfunction, persistent activation of immune cells and production of autoimmune antibodies. Despite this, the underlying cause of long Covid is currently not well understood and diagnostic biomarkers for the condition are not clearly defined. Moreover, it also lacks effective treatment.
In this context, Carlo Cervia-Hasler and his team report the results of a longitudinal analysis of blood serum from 113 patients who fully recovered from Covid-19. or developed persistent Covid, as well as healthy controls.
Using Using high-throughput proteomic approaches, the researchers measured the levels of 6,596 human proteins in the serum of study participants. Individuals with confirmed acute Covid-19 were followed for a year and serum samples were collected again at 6 months and 12 months where possible.
In patients with persistent Covid, changes in serum proteins have been observed, indicating dysregulated complement activation, altered coagulation, and tissue damage., suggesting ongoing thromboinflammatory reactions. The authors show that at the cellular level, thromboinflammatory features associated with long Covid were associated with an increase in monocyte and platelet aggregates. Dysregulation of complement proteins may contribute to thromboinflammation associated with long Covid.
In summary, the study results identify potential biomarkers of long-term disease progression and new treatment strategies that justify further diagnostic and therapeutic studies.