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Almulla AF, Thipakorn Y, Zhou B, Vojdani A, Maes M. Immune activation and immune-associated neurotoxicity in Long-COVID: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 103 studies comprising 58 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 122:75-94. [PMID: 39127088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple studies have shown that Long COVID (LC) disease is associated with heightened immune activation, as evidenced by elevated levels of inflammatory mediators. However, there is no comprehensive meta-analysis focusing on activation of the immune inflammatory response system (IRS) and the compensatory immunoregulatory system (CIRS) along with other immune phenotypes in LC patients. OBJECTIVES This meta-analysis is designed to explore the IRS and CIRS profiles in LC patients, the individual cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, along with C-reactive protein (CRP) and immune-associated neurotoxicity. METHODS To gather relevant studies for our research, we conducted a thorough search using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciFinder, covering all available literature up to July 5th, 2024. RESULTS The current meta-analysis encompassed 103 studies that examined multiple immune profiles, C-reactive protein, and 58 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors in 5502 LC patients versus 5962 normal controls (NC). LC patients showed significant increases in IRS/CIRS ratio (standardized mean difference (SMD: 0.156, confidence interval (CI): 0.062;0.250), IRS (SMD: 0.338, CI: 0.236;0.440), M1 macrophage (SMD: 0.371, CI: 0.263;0.480), T helper (Th)1 (SMD: 0.316, CI: 0.185;0.446), Th17 (SMD: 0.439, CI: 0.302;0.577) and immune-associated neurotoxicity (SMD: 0.384, CI: 0.271;0.497). In addition, CRP and 21 different cytokines displayed significantly elevated levels in LC patients compared to NC. CONCLUSION LC disease is characterized by IRS activation and increased immune-associated neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbas F Almulla
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610072, China; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Yanin Thipakorn
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Bo Zhou
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Aristo Vojdani
- Immunosciences Lab, Inc., Los Angeles, CA 90035, USA; Cyrex Laboratories, LLC, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA
| | - Michael Maes
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610072, China; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Cognitive Fitness and Biopsychological Technology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine. Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Strategic Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU - PLOVDIV-(SRIPD-MUP), European Union - NextGenerationEU; Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, South Korea.
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Collins E, Philippe E, Gravel CA, Hawken S, Langlois MA, Little J. Serological markers and long COVID-A rapid systematic review. Eur J Clin Invest 2024; 54:e14149. [PMID: 38083997 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long COVID is highly heterogeneous, often debilitating, and may last for years after infection. The aetiology of long COVID remains uncertain. Examination of potential serological markers of long COVID, accounting for clinical covariates, may yield emergent pathophysiological insights. METHODS In adherence to PRISMA guidelines, we carried out a rapid review of the literature. We searched Medline and Embase for primary observational studies that compared IgG response in individuals who experienced COVID-19 symptoms persisting ≥12 weeks post-infection with those who did not. We examined relationships between serological markers and long COVID status and investigated sources of inter-study variability, such as severity of acute illness, long COVID symptoms assessed and target antigen(s). RESULTS Of 8018 unique records, we identified 29 as being eligible for inclusion in synthesis. Definitions of long COVID varied. In studies that reported anti-nucleocapsid (N) IgG (n = 10 studies; n = 989 participants in aggregate), full or partial anti-Spike IgG (i.e. the whole trimer, S1 or S2 subgroups, or receptor binding domain, n = 19 studies; n = 2606 participants), or neutralizing response (n = 7 studies; n = 1123 participants), we did not find strong evidence to support any difference in serological markers between groups with and without persisting symptoms. However, most studies did not account for severity or level of care required during acute illness, and other potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS Pooling of studies would enable more robust exploration of clinical and serological predictors among diverse populations. However, substantial inter-study variations hamper comparability. Standardized reporting practices would improve the quality, consistency and comprehension of study findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Collins
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Philippe
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher A Gravel
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Steven Hawken
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc-André Langlois
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network (CoVaRR-Net), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation (CI3), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julian Little
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network (CoVaRR-Net), Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- The Knowledge Synthesis and Application Unit (KSAU), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Al-Shouli ST, Meo SA, Alafaleq NO, Sumaily KM, Alshehri A, Almutairi A, Eidalsharif A, Alsulami F, Alhanaya S. Prevalence of Chemosensitive Neurological Disorders of Smell and Taste and Association with Blood Groups in SARS-CoV-2 Patients: Cross-Sectional Study. Viruses 2023; 15:1277. [PMID: 37376577 DOI: 10.3390/v15061277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a highly challenging and threatening situation worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 patients develop various clinical symptoms. The olfactory and taste dysfunctions are potential neurological manifestations among SARS-CoV-2 patients; however, their relationship with blood groups has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chemosensitive neurological disorders of smell and taste and their association with blood groups in SARS-CoV-2 patients. The present cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Pathology, and Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A well-structured, self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed through social media platforms. A total of 922 Saudi and non-Saudi adults aged 18 years or older participated in the study. Out of 922 participants, the number of people who had anosmia was 309 (33.5%), 211 (22.9%) had hyposmia, and 45 (4.8%) had dysosmia. Moreover, 180 (19.52%) had ageusia, 47 (5.1%) and 293 (31.8%) had hypogeusia and dysgeusia, respectively. Among all the participants, 565 (61.27%) had smell-related disorders and 520 (56.39%) participants had taste-related clinical symptoms. The occurrence of anosmia and ageusia was relatively high among females compared to males (p = 0.024). The prevalence of smell-related disorders was 25.0% (230) and taste-related disorders was 23.21% (214) among the study participants with blood group O compared to all other blood group (A, B, and AB) participants who have smell allied disorders 30.69% (283), and taste allied disorders 27.98% (258). The prevalence of chemosensitive neurological disorders involving impaired smell and taste was higher in SARS-CoV-2 patients. These clinical symptoms were common among the participants with blood group type O compared to all other ABO blood group types. The role of certain demographic characteristics was consistent throughout multiple studies, notably with female gender and young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia T Al-Shouli
- Immunology Unit, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sultan Ayoub Meo
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nouf O Alafaleq
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid M Sumaily
- Clinical Biochemistry Unit, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aseel Alshehri
- College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Azaam Eidalsharif
- College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad Alsulami
- College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad Alhanaya
- College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
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Yong SJ, Halim A, Halim M, Liu S, Aljeldah M, Al Shammari BR, Alwarthan S, Alhajri M, Alawfi A, Alshengeti A, Khamis F, Alsalman J, Alshukairi AN, Abukhamis NA, Almaghrabi FS, Almuthree SA, Alsulaiman AM, Alshehail BM, Alfaraj AH, Alhawaj SA, Mohapatra RK, Rabaan AA. Inflammatory and vascular biomarkers in post-COVID-19 syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of over 20 biomarkers. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2424. [PMID: 36708022 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may inflict a post-viral condition known as post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) or long-COVID. Studies measuring levels of inflammatory and vascular biomarkers in blood, serum, or plasma of COVID-19 survivors with PCS versus non-PCS controls have produced mixed findings. Our review sought to meta-analyse those studies. A systematic literature search was performed across five databases until 25 June 2022, with an updated search on 1 November 2022. Data analyses were performed with Review Manager and R Studio statistical software. Twenty-four biomarkers from 23 studies were meta-analysed. Higher levels of C-reactive protein (Standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.02-0.39), D-dimer (SMD = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.09-0.46), lactate dehydrogenase (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.05-0.54), and leukocytes (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.02-0.66) were found in COVID-19 survivors with PCS than in those without PCS. After sensitivity analyses, lymphocytes (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12-0.48) and interleukin-6 (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12-0.49) were also significantly higher in PCS than non-PCS cases. No significant differences were noted in the remaining biomarkers investigated (e.g., ferritin, platelets, troponin, and fibrinogen). Subgroup analyses suggested the biomarker changes were mainly driven by PCS cases diagnosed via manifestation of organ abnormalities rather than symptomatic persistence, as well as PCS cases with duration of <6 than ≥6 months. In conclusion, our review pinpointed certain inflammatory and vascular biomarkers associated with PCS, which may shed light on potential new approaches to understanding, diagnosing, and treating PCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Jie Yong
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Alice Halim
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Michael Halim
- Department of Biomedical Science, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK
| | - Shiliang Liu
- Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammed Aljeldah
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia
| | - Basim R Al Shammari
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Alwarthan
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashael Alhajri
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulsalam Alawfi
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amer Alshengeti
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, National Guard Health Affairs, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faryal Khamis
- Infection Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Jameela Alsalman
- Infection Disease Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Ministry of Health, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Abeer N Alshukairi
- Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nujoud A Abukhamis
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, East Jeddah Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Souad A Almuthree
- Department of Infectious Disease, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Bashayer M Alshehail
- Pharmacy Practice Department, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal H Alfaraj
- Pediatric Department, Abqaiq General Hospital, First Eastern Health Cluster, Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shorouq A Alhawaj
- Department of Nursing Model of Care, Nephrology Dialysis & Transplant Unit, Qatif Central Hospital, Qatif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ranjan K Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, India
| | - Ali A Rabaan
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur, Pakistan
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Clinical Characteristics in the Acute Phase of COVID-19 That Predict Long COVID: Tachycardia, Myalgias, Severity, and Use of Antibiotics as Main Risk Factors, While Education and Blood Group B Are Protective. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11020197. [PMID: 36673565 PMCID: PMC9858709 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11020197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk factors for developing long COVID are not clearly established. The present study was designed to determine if any sign, symptom, or treatment of the acute phase, or personal characteristics of the patient, is associated with the development of long COVID. METHODS A cohort study was carried out, randomly selecting symptomatic COVID-19 patients and not vaccinated. The severity of the acute illness was assessed through the number of compatible COVID-19 symptoms, hospitalizations, and the symptom severity score using a 10-point visual analog scale. RESULTS After multivariate analysis, a severity score ≥8 (RR 2.0, 95%CI 1.1-3.5, p = 0.022), hospitalization (RR 2.1, 95%CI 1.0-4.4, p = 0.039), myalgia (RR 1.9, 95%CI 1.08-3.6, p = 0.027), tachycardia (RR 10.4, 95%CI 2.2-47.7, p = 0.003), and use of antibiotics (RR 2.0, 95%CI 1.1-3.5, p = 0.022), was positively associated with the risk of having long COVID. Higher levels of education (RR 0.6, 95%CI 0.4-0.9, p = 0.029) and type positive B blood group (B + AB, RR 0.44, 95%CI 0.2-0.9, p = 0.044) were protective factors. The most important population attributable fractions (PAFs) for long COVID were myalgia (37%), severity score ≥8 (31%), and use of antibiotics (27%). CONCLUSIONS Further studies in diverse populations over time are needed to expand the knowledge that could lead us to prevent and/or treat long COVID.
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Al-Husinat L, Nusir M, Al-Gharaibeh H, Alomari AA, Smadi MM, Battaglini D, Pelosi P. Post-COVID-19 syndrome symptoms after mild and moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1017257. [PMID: 36262270 PMCID: PMC9573938 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1017257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS) is characterized by residual symptoms following the initial recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The prevalence of PCS is known to be the highest among severe and critical forms of the disease. However, the occurrence and risk factors for PCS after mild or moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been extensively investigated. Methods Online and offline via both paper or mailed questionnaires distributed among Jordan collected between 1st and 21st August 2021, including a total number of 800 respondents, of whom 495 had previous mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. The Newcastle post-COVID syndrome Follow-up Screening Questionnaire was modified, translated, and used as a standard instrument for data collection regarding psychological, medical, and socio-economic symptoms post-infection. The primary outcome was the prevalence of PCS after mild to moderate COVID-19 in Jordan. Secondary outcome was the identification of PCS risk factors. Results The most common PCS symptom was mood disturbance followed by fatigue, anxiety, and myalgia. Female gender significantly increased the risk for multiple PCS symptoms. Age < 30 years was found to be an independent risk factor for myalgia (p = 0.001). Conclusion PCS is highly prevalent among COVID-19 survivors in Jordan, especially in females and patients with comorbidities. Planning physical and mental rehabilitation services is recommended for those patients with PCS symptoms after mild to moderate COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lou'i Al-Husinat
- Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Mokeem Nusir
- Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Haitham Al-Gharaibeh
- Department of Clinical Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Amer A Alomari
- Department of Neurosurgery, San Filippo Neri Hospital/ASLRoma1, Rome, Italy
| | - Mahmoud M Smadi
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Denise Battaglini
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Martino Policlinico Hospital, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paolo Pelosi
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Martino Policlinico Hospital, IRCCS for Oncology and Neuroscience, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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