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Bertram K, Cox C, Alam H, Lowell C, Cuschieri J, Parekkadan B, Pati S. Insights from CTTACC: immune system reset by cellular therapies for chronic illness after trauma, infection, and burn. Cytotherapy 2024; 26:714-718. [PMID: 38506768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS In this paper, we present a review of several selected talks presented at the CTTACC conference (Cellular Therapies in Trauma and Critical Care) held in Scottsdale, AZ in May 2023. This conference review highlights the potential for cellular therapies to "reset" the dysregulated immune response and restore physiologic functions to normal. Improvements in medical care systems and technology have increasingly saved lives after major traumatic events. However, many of these patients have complicated post-traumatic sequelae, ranging from short-term multi-organ failure to chronic critical illness. METHODS/RESULTS Patients with chronic critical illness have been found to have dysregulated immune responses. These abnormal and harmful immune responses persist for years after the initial insult and can potentially be mitigated by treatment with cellular therapies. CONCLUSIONS The sessions emphasized the need for more research and clinical trials with cellular therapies for the treatment of a multitude of chronic illnesses: post-trauma, radiation injury, COVID-19, burns, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other chronic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Bertram
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
| | - Charles Cox
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hasan Alam
- Department of Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Clifford Lowell
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joseph Cuschieri
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Biju Parekkadan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shibani Pati
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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2
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Russell SJ, Parker K, Lehoczki A, Lieberman D, Partha IS, Scott SJ, Phillips LR, Fain MJ, Nikolich JŽ. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Long COVID) in older adults. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01227-8. [PMID: 38874693 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01227-8] [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: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Long COVID, also known as PASC (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2), is a complex infection-associated chronic condition affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. Many aspects of this condition are incompletely understood. Among them is how this condition may manifest itself in older adults and how it might impact the older population. Here, we briefly review the current understanding of PASC in the adult population and examine what is known on its features with aging. Finally, we outline the major gaps and areas for research most germane to older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Russell
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Banner University Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Karen Parker
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Banner University Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Andrea Lehoczki
- Doctoral College, Health Sciences Program, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Haematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, National Institute for Haematology and Infectious Diseases, South Pest Central Hospital, 1097, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - David Lieberman
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Banner University Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Indu S Partha
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Banner University Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Serena J Scott
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Banner University Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Linda R Phillips
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA
- College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Mindy J Fain
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Banner University Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Janko Ž Nikolich
- Arizona Center of Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, AZ, USA.
- The Aegis Consortium for Pandemic-Free Future, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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3
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Gusev E, Sarapultsev A. Exploring the Pathophysiology of Long COVID: The Central Role of Low-Grade Inflammation and Multisystem Involvement. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6389. [PMID: 38928096 PMCID: PMC11204317 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Long COVID (LC), also referred to as Post COVID-19 Condition, Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC), and other terms, represents a complex multisystem disease persisting after the acute phase of COVID-19. Characterized by a myriad of symptoms across different organ systems, LC presents significant diagnostic and management challenges. Central to the disorder is the role of low-grade inflammation, a non-classical inflammatory response that contributes to the chronicity and diversity of symptoms observed. This review explores the pathophysiological underpinnings of LC, emphasizing the importance of low-grade inflammation as a core component. By delineating the pathogenetic relationships and clinical manifestations of LC, this article highlights the necessity for an integrated approach that employs both personalized medicine and standardized protocols aimed at mitigating long-term consequences. The insights gained not only enhance our understanding of LC but also inform the development of therapeutic strategies that could be applicable to other chronic conditions with similar pathophysiological features.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexey Sarapultsev
- Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 620049 Ekaterinburg, Russia;
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4
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Vojdani A, Almulla AF, Zhou B, Al-Hakeim HK, Maes M. Reactivation of herpesvirus type 6 and IgA/IgM-mediated responses to activin-A underpin long COVID, including affective symptoms and chronic fatigue syndrome. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2024; 36:172-184. [PMID: 38571295 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2024.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistent infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), reactivation of dormant viruses, and immune-oxidative responses are involved in long COVID. OBJECTIVES To investigate whether long COVID and depressive, anxiety, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) symptoms are associated with IgA/IgM/IgG to SARS-CoV-2, human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and immune-oxidative biomarkers. METHODS We examined 90 long COVID patients and ninety healthy controls. We measured serum IgA/IgM/IgG against HHV-6 and EBV and their deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (duTPase), SARS-CoV-2, and activin-A, C-reactive protein (CRP), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). RESULTS Long COVID patients showed significant elevations in IgG/IgM-SARS-CoV-2, IgG/IgM-HHV-6, and HHV-6-duTPase, IgA/IgM-activin-A, CRP, AOPP, and HOMA2-IR. Neural network analysis yielded a highly significant predictive accuracy of 80.6% for the long COVID diagnosis (sensitivity: 78.9%, specificity: 81.8%, area under the ROC curve = 0.876); the topmost predictors were as follows: IGA-activin-A, IgG-HHV-6, IgM-HHV-6-duTPase, IgG-SARS-CoV-2, and IgM-HHV-6 (all positively) and a factor extracted from all IgA levels to all viral antigens (inversely). The top 5 predictors of affective symptoms due to long COVID were IgM-HHV-6-duTPase, IgG-HHV-6, CRP, education, IgA-activin-A (predictive accuracy of r = 0.636). The top 5 predictors of CFS due to long COVID were in descending order: CRP, IgG-HHV-6-duTPase, IgM-activin-A, IgM-SARS-CoV-2, and IgA-activin-A (predictive accuracy: r = 0.709). CONCLUSION Reactivation of HHV-6, SARS-CoV-2 persistence, and autoimmune reactions to activin-A combined with activated immune-oxidative pathways play a major role in the pathophysiology of long COVID as well as the severity of its affective symptoms and CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristo Vojdani
- Immunosciences Lab, Inc., Los Angeles, CA90035, USA
- Cyrex Laboratories, LLC, Phoenix, AZ85034, USA
| | - Abbas F Almulla
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Bo Zhou
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu610072, China
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu610072, China
| | | | - Michael Maes
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu610072, China
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu610072, China
- Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Center, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul02447, Korea
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5
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Raj ST, Bruce AW, Anbalagan M, Srinivasan H, Chinnappan S, Rajagopal M, Khanna K, Chandramoorthy HC, Mani RR. COVID-19 influenced gut dysbiosis, post-acute sequelae, immune regulation, and therapeutic regimens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1384939. [PMID: 38863829 PMCID: PMC11165100 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1384939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has garnered unprecedented global attention. It caused over 2.47 million deaths through various syndromes such as acute respiratory distress, hypercoagulability, and multiple organ failure. The viral invasion proceeds through the ACE2 receptor, expressed in multiple cell types, and in some patients caused serious damage to tissues, organs, immune cells, and the microbes that colonize the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Some patients who survived the SARS-CoV-2 infection have developed months of persistent long-COVID-19 symptoms or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Diagnosis of these patients has revealed multiple biological effects, none of which are mutually exclusive. However, the severity of COVID-19 also depends on numerous comorbidities such as obesity, age, diabetes, and hypertension and care must be taken with respect to other multiple morbidities, such as host immunity. Gut microbiota in relation to SARS-CoV-2 immunopathology is considered to evolve COVID-19 progression via mechanisms of biochemical metabolism, exacerbation of inflammation, intestinal mucosal secretion, cytokine storm, and immunity regulation. Therefore, modulation of gut microbiome equilibrium through food supplements and probiotics remains a hot topic of current research and debate. In this review, we discuss the biological complications of the physio-pathological effects of COVID-19 infection, GIT immune response, and therapeutic pharmacological strategies. We also summarize the therapeutic targets of probiotics, their limitations, and the efficacy of preclinical and clinical drugs to effectively inhibit the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterlin T. Raj
- Department of Molecular Biology, Ekka Diagnostics, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Alexander W. Bruce
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Muralidharan Anbalagan
- Department of Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Hemalatha Srinivasan
- School of Life Sciences, B. S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Sasikala Chinnappan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University College of Sedaya International UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mogana Rajagopal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University College of Sedaya International UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kushagra Khanna
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Harish C. Chandramoorthy
- Department of Microbiology and Clinical Parasitology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Center for Stem Cell Research, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ravishankar Ram Mani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University College of Sedaya International UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Bhattacharya M, Chatterjee S, Saxena S, Nandi SS, Lee SS, Chakraborty C. Current landscape of long COVID clinical trials. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:111930. [PMID: 38537538 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Long COVID was reported as a multi-systemic condition after the infection of SARS-CoV-2, and more than 65 million people are suffering from this disease. It has been noted that around 10% of severe SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals are suffering from the enduring effects of long COVID. The symptoms of long COVID have also been noted in several mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. While limited reports on clinical trials investigating new therapeutics for long COVID exist, there is an abundance of scattered information available regarding these trials. This review explores the extensive literature search, and complete clinical trial database search to map the current status of long COVID clinical trials worldwide. The study listed about 110 long COVID clinical trials. In addition to conducting extensive long COVID clinical trials, we have comprehensively presented an overview of the condition, its symptoms, notable manifestations, associated clinical trials, the unique challenges it poses, and our recommendations for addressing long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manojit Bhattacharya
- Department of Zoology, Fakir Mohan University, Vyasa Vihar, Balasore 756020, Odisha, India
| | - Srijan Chatterjee
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanskriti Saxena
- Division of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Tirupati, Panguru, Tirupati 517619, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Shyam Sundar Nandi
- ICMR-National Institute of Virology, (Mumbai unit), Indian Council of Medical Research, Haffkine Institute Compound, A. D. Marg, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India
| | - Sang-Soo Lee
- Institute for Skeletal Aging & Orthopedic Surgery, Hallym University-Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 24252, Republic of Korea.
| | - Chiranjib Chakraborty
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700126, India.
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7
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Kim C, Moon JY, Kim SH, Kim SH, Chang Y, Cho WH, Kim WY, Kwon SJ, Kim HC, Yoo KH, Lee YS. Prevalences and Interrelationships of Post COVID-19 Fatigue, Sleep Disturbances, and Depression in Healthy Young and Middle-Aged Adults. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2801. [PMID: 38792343 PMCID: PMC11122371 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13102801] [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: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: An evaluation of the persistence of symptoms following COVID-19 in economically active young and middle-aged adults is crucial due to its significant socioeconomic impact resulting from compromised work performance. Methods: A prospective, multicenter study at 12 South Korean hospitals from January to December 2022 involved telephone interviews along with validated questionnaires. Results: Among 696 participants with a median age of 32 and no prior diagnoses, 30% of participants experienced persistent fatigue, while 21.4% suffered from sleep disturbance at 6 months following infection. Additionally, approximately 25% of the participants exhibited depression that endured for up to 6 months. Symptomatic individuals at 3 months exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of persistent fatigue, sleep disturbances, and depression at 6 months compared to those who remained asymptomatic. Notably, sleep disturbance and persistent fatigue at 3 months emerged as significant independent predictors of the presence of depression at 6 months. Conclusions: Even among young and middle-aged healthy adults, prolonged fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression exhibit a significant prevalence and persisted for up to 6 months. Therefore, implementing a workplace management protocol for these symptoms is essential to mitigate the socioeconomic burden caused by the impairment of work efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhwan Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hwaseong-si 18450, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jae Young Moon
- Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital, Sejong 30099, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sung Hyun Kim
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Busan 47392, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sun-Hyung Kim
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea;
| | - Youjin Chang
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul 01757, Republic of Korea;
| | - Woo Hyun Cho
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Transplant Research Center, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Young Kim
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sun Jung Kwon
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea;
| | - Ho Cheol Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Changwon 51472, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kwang Ha Yoo
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05030, Republic of Korea;
| | - Young Seok Lee
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea
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Greenhalgh T, Darbyshire JL, Lee C, Ladds E, Ceolta-Smith J. What is quality in long covid care? Lessons from a national quality improvement collaborative and multi-site ethnography. BMC Med 2024; 22:159. [PMID: 38616276 PMCID: PMC11017565 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03371-6] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long covid (post covid-19 condition) is a complex condition with diverse manifestations, uncertain prognosis and wide variation in current approaches to management. There have been calls for formal quality standards to reduce a so-called "postcode lottery" of care. The original aim of this study-to examine the nature of quality in long covid care and reduce unwarranted variation in services-evolved to focus on examining the reasons why standardizing care was so challenging in this condition. METHODS In 2021-2023, we ran a quality improvement collaborative across 10 UK sites. The dataset reported here was mostly but not entirely qualitative. It included data on the origins and current context of each clinic, interviews with staff and patients, and ethnographic observations at 13 clinics (50 consultations) and 45 multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings (244 patient cases). Data collection and analysis were informed by relevant lenses from clinical care (e.g. evidence-based guidelines), improvement science (e.g. quality improvement cycles) and philosophy of knowledge. RESULTS Participating clinics made progress towards standardizing assessment and management in some topics; some variation remained but this could usually be explained. Clinics had different histories and path dependencies, occupied a different place in their healthcare ecosystem and served a varied caseload including a high proportion of patients with comorbidities. A key mechanism for achieving high-quality long covid care was when local MDTs deliberated on unusual, complex or challenging cases for which evidence-based guidelines provided no easy answers. In such cases, collective learning occurred through idiographic (case-based) reasoning, in which practitioners build lessons from the particular to the general. This contrasts with the nomothetic reasoning implicit in evidence-based guidelines, in which reasoning is assumed to go from the general (e.g. findings of clinical trials) to the particular (management of individual patients). CONCLUSION Not all variation in long covid services is unwarranted. Largely because long covid's manifestations are so varied and comorbidities common, generic "evidence-based" standards require much individual adaptation. In this complex condition, quality improvement resources may be productively spent supporting MDTs to optimise their case-based learning through interdisciplinary discussion. Quality assessment of a long covid service should include review of a sample of individual cases to assess how guidelines have been interpreted and personalized to meet patients' unique needs. STUDY REGISTRATION NCT05057260, ISRCTN15022307.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha Greenhalgh
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK.
| | - Julie L Darbyshire
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Cassie Lee
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Emma Ladds
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Woodstock Rd, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Jenny Ceolta-Smith
- LOCOMOTION Patient Advisory Group and Lived Experience Representative, London, UK
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9
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Bohmwald K, Diethelm-Varela B, Rodríguez-Guilarte L, Rivera T, Riedel CA, González PA, Kalergis AM. Pathophysiological, immunological, and inflammatory features of long COVID. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341600. [PMID: 38482000 PMCID: PMC10932978 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause severe global disruption, resulting in significant excess mortality, overwhelming healthcare systems, and imposing substantial social and economic burdens on nations. While most of the attention and therapeutic efforts have concentrated on the acute phase of the disease, a notable proportion of survivors experience persistent symptoms post-infection clearance. This diverse set of symptoms, loosely categorized as long COVID, presents a potential additional public health crisis. It is estimated that 1 in 5 COVID-19 survivors exhibit clinical manifestations consistent with long COVID. Despite this prevalence, the mechanisms and pathophysiology of long COVID remain poorly understood. Alarmingly, evidence suggests that a significant proportion of cases within this clinical condition develop debilitating or disabling symptoms. Hence, urgent priority should be given to further studies on this condition to equip global public health systems for its management. This review provides an overview of available information on this emerging clinical condition, focusing on the affected individuals' epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, and immunological and inflammatory profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Bohmwald
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Benjamín Diethelm-Varela
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Linmar Rodríguez-Guilarte
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Thomas Rivera
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia A. Riedel
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo A. González
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexis M. Kalergis
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Endocrinología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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10
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Tandon P, Abrams ND, Avula LR, Carrick DM, Chander P, Divi RL, Dwyer JT, Gannot G, Gordiyenko N, Liu Q, Moon K, PrabhuDas M, Singh A, Tilahun ME, Satyamitra MM, Wang C, Warren R, Liu CH. Unraveling Links between Chronic Inflammation and Long COVID: Workshop Report. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:505-512. [PMID: 38315950 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
As COVID-19 continues, an increasing number of patients develop long COVID symptoms varying in severity that last for weeks, months, or longer. Symptoms commonly include lingering loss of smell and taste, hearing loss, extreme fatigue, and "brain fog." Still, persistent cardiovascular and respiratory problems, muscle weakness, and neurologic issues have also been documented. A major problem is the lack of clear guidelines for diagnosing long COVID. Although some studies suggest that long COVID is due to prolonged inflammation after SARS-CoV-2 infection, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The broad range of COVID-19's bodily effects and responses after initial viral infection are also poorly understood. This workshop brought together multidisciplinary experts to showcase and discuss the latest research on long COVID and chronic inflammation that might be associated with the persistent sequelae following COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pushpa Tandon
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Natalie D Abrams
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Leela Rani Avula
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | | | - Preethi Chander
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Rao L Divi
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Johanna T Dwyer
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Gallya Gannot
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Qian Liu
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kyung Moon
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Mercy PrabhuDas
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Anju Singh
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Mulualem E Tilahun
- National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Merriline M Satyamitra
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Chiayeng Wang
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
| | - Ronald Warren
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Christina H Liu
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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11
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Sokolovska L, Cistjakovs M, Matroze A, Murovska M, Sultanova A. From Viral Infection to Autoimmune Reaction: Exploring the Link between Human Herpesvirus 6 and Autoimmune Diseases. Microorganisms 2024; 12:362. [PMID: 38399766 PMCID: PMC10892088 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The complexity of autoimmunity initiation has been the subject of many studies. Both genetic and environmental factors are essential in autoimmunity development. Among others, environmental factors include infectious agents. HHV-6 is a ubiquitous human pathogen with a high global prevalence. It has several properties suggestive of its contribution to autoimmunity development. HHV-6 has a broad cell tropism, the ability to establish latency with subsequent reactivation and persistence, and a range of immunomodulation capabilities. Studies have implicated HHV-6 in a plethora of autoimmune diseases-endocrine, neurological, connective tissue, and others-with some studies even proposing possible autoimmunity induction mechanisms. HHV-6 can be frequently found in autoimmunity-affected tissues and lesions; it has been found to infect autoimmune-pathology-relevant cells and influence immune responses and signaling. This review highlights some of the most well-known autoimmune conditions to which HHV-6 has been linked, like multiple sclerosis and autoimmune thyroiditis, and summarizes the data on HHV-6 involvement in autoimmunity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liba Sokolovska
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Riga Stradins University, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
| | - Maksims Cistjakovs
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Riga Stradins University, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
| | - Asnate Matroze
- Faculty of Residency, Riga Stradins University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
| | - Modra Murovska
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Riga Stradins University, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
| | - Alina Sultanova
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Riga Stradins University, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
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12
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Philippe A, Günther S, Rancic J, Cavagna P, Renaud B, Gendron N, Mousseaux E, Hua-Huy T, Reverdito G, Planquette B, Sanchez O, Gaussem P, Salmon D, Diehl JL, Smadja DM. VEGF-A plasma levels are associated with impaired DLCO and radiological sequelae in long COVID patients. Angiogenesis 2024; 27:51-66. [PMID: 37526809 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-023-09890-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), is characterized by persistent clinical symptoms following COVID-19. OBJECTIVE To correlate biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction with persistent clinical symptoms and pulmonary function defects at distance from COVID-19. METHODS Consecutive patients with long COVID-19 suspicion were enrolled. A panel of endothelial biomarkers was measured in each patient during clinical evaluation and pulmonary function test (PFT). RESULTS The study included 137 PASC patients, mostly male (68%), with a median age of 55 years. A total of 194 PFTs were performed between months 3 and 24 after an episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We compared biomarkers evaluated in PASC patients with 20 healthy volunteers (HVs) and acute hospitalized COVID-19 patients (n = 88). The study found that angiogenesis-related biomarkers and von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels were increased in PASC patients compared to HVs without increased inflammatory or platelet activation markers. Moreover, VEGF-A and VWF were associated with persistent lung CT scan lesions and impaired diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) measurement. By employing a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, we further confirmed the accuracy of VEGF-A and VWF. Following adjustment, VEGF-A emerged as the most significant predictive factor associated with persistent lung CT scan lesions and impaired DLCO measurement. CONCLUSION VEGF-A is a relevant predictive factor for DLCO impairment and radiological sequelae in PASC. Beyond being a biomarker, we hypothesize that the persistence of angiogenic disorders may contribute to long COVID symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Philippe
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Hematology Department, AP-HP.Centre, Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Sven Günther
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Unité d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires et du Sommeil, AP-HP, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Jeanne Rancic
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Cavagna
- Pharmacy Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP Sorbonne University, Paris, France
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, PARCC, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Bertrand Renaud
- Unité d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires et du Sommeil, AP-HP, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Gendron
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Hematology Department, AP-HP.Centre, Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Elie Mousseaux
- Paris-Cardiovascular Research Center INSERM 970, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Department of Radiology, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Thông Hua-Huy
- Unité d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires et du Sommeil, AP-HP, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Reverdito
- Paris-Cardiovascular Research Center INSERM 970, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- Department of Radiology, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Planquette
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Respiratory Diseases Department, AP-HP.Centre, Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Sanchez
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Respiratory Diseases Department, AP-HP.Centre, Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Gaussem
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Hematology Department, AP-HP.Centre, Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Salmon
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Department, AP-HP. Centre, Université Paris Cité, Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, 75004, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Diehl
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France
- Intensive Care Unit, AP-HP. Centre Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France
| | - David M Smadja
- University Paris Cité, Innovative Therapies in Hemostasis, INSERM, 75006, Paris, France.
- Hematology Department, AP-HP.Centre, Université Paris Cité, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, 75015, Paris, France.
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13
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Lu Y, Wang C, Wang Y, Chen Y, Zhao L, Li Y. Case report: Enhancing prognosis in severe COVID-19 through human herpes virus coinfection treatment strategies. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 13:1320933. [PMID: 38268789 PMCID: PMC10806028 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1320933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In the context of increasing reports of co-infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly with human herpes viruses (HHVs), it is important to consider the appropriate treatment options for HHVs that have been reactivated by COVID-19. Case presentation This study presents two cases of severe COVID-19 with HHV co-infection. The first case involved a critically ill patient with COVID-19 co-infected with herpes simplex virus type 1, confirmed using metagenomic next-generation sequencing, and another patient with severe COVID-19 experiencing Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, as evidenced by elevated EBV-DNA levels in the serum. Treatment included high-dose glucocorticoids and sivelestat sodium, with notable improvements observed after initiating ganciclovir anti-herpesvirus therapy. Conclusion This study underscores the significance of recognizing HHV co-infections in severe COVID-19 cases and highlights the potential of combining anti-HHV treatment, increased glucocorticoid dosages, and anti-cytokine storm therapy to enhance prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yu Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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14
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Lerner A, Benzvi C, Vojdani A. HLA-DQ2/8 and COVID-19 in Celiac Disease: Boon or Bane. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2977. [PMID: 38138121 PMCID: PMC10745744 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to pose a global threat. While its virulence has subsided, it has persisted due to the continual emergence of new mutations. Although many high-risk conditions related to COVID-19 have been identified, the understanding of protective factors remains limited. Intriguingly, epidemiological evidence suggests a low incidence of COVID-19-infected CD patients. The present study explores whether their genetic background, namely, the associated HLA-DQs, offers protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes. We hypothesize that the HLA-DQ2/8 alleles may shield CD patients from SARS-CoV-2 and its subsequent effects, possibly due to memory CD4 T cells primed by previous exposure to human-associated common cold coronaviruses (CCC) and higher affinity to those allele's groove. In this context, we examined potential cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 epitopes and human-associated CCC and assessed the binding affinity (BA) of these epitopes to HLA-DQ2/8. Using computational methods, we analyzed sequence similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and four distinct CCC. Of 924 unique immunodominant 15-mer epitopes with at least 67% identity, 37 exhibited significant BA to HLA-DQ2/8, suggesting a protective effect. We present various mechanisms that might explain the protective role of HLA-DQ2/8 in COVID-19-afflicted CD patients. If substantiated, these insights could enhance our understanding of the gene-environment enigma and viral-host relationship, guiding potential therapeutic innovations against the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Lerner
- The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262160, Israel;
- Research Department, Ariel University, Ariel 4077625, Israel
| | - Carina Benzvi
- The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262160, Israel;
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15
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Šudomová M, Hassan STS. Herpesvirus Diseases in Humans and Animals: Recent Developments, Challenges, and Charting Future Paths. Pathogens 2023; 12:1422. [PMID: 38133305 PMCID: PMC10745940 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Herpesviruses, a family of enveloped DNA viruses, pose significant threats to both humans and animals [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslava Šudomová
- Museum of Literature in Moravia, Klášter 1, 664 61 Rajhrad, Czech Republic
| | - Sherif T. S. Hassan
- Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic;
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16
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Ailioaie LM, Ailioaie C, Litscher G. Gut Microbiota and Mitochondria: Health and Pathophysiological Aspects of Long COVID. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17198. [PMID: 38139027 PMCID: PMC10743487 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The current understanding of long COVID (LC) is still limited. This review highlights key findings regarding the role of gut microbiota, mitochondria, and the main pathophysiological aspects of LC revealed by clinical studies, related to the complex interplay between infection, intestinal dysbiosis, dysfunctional mitochondria, and systemic inflammation generated in a vicious circle, reflecting the molecular and cellular processes from the "leaky gut" to the "leaky electron transport chain (ETC)" into a quantum leap. The heterogeneity of LC has hindered progress in deciphering all the pathophysiological mechanisms, and therefore, the approach must be multidisciplinary, with a special focus not only on symptomatic management but also on addressing the underlying health problems of the patients. It is imperative to further assess and validate the effects of COVID-19 and LC on the gut microbiome and their relationship to infections with other viral agents or pathogens. Further studies are needed to better understand LC and expand the interdisciplinary points of view that are required to accurately diagnose and effectively treat this heterogeneous condition. Given the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to induce autoimmunity in susceptible patients, they should be monitored for symptoms of autoimmune disease after contracting the viral infection. One question remains open, namely, whether the various vaccines developed to end the pandemic will also induce autoimmunity. Recent data highlighted in this review have revealed that the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 and dysfunctional mitochondria in organs such as the heart and, to a lesser extent, the kidneys, liver, and lymph nodes, long after the organism has been able to clear the virus from the lungs, could be an explanation for LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marinela Ailioaie
- Department of Medical Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 11 Carol I Boulevard, 700506 Iasi, Romania; (L.M.A.); (C.A.)
| | - Constantin Ailioaie
- Department of Medical Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 11 Carol I Boulevard, 700506 Iasi, Romania; (L.M.A.); (C.A.)
| | - Gerhard Litscher
- President of the International Society for Medical Laser Applications (ISLA Transcontinental), German Vice President of the German-Chinese Research Foundation (DCFG) for TCM, Honorary President of the European Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies, Honorary Professor of China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Former Head of Two Research Units and the TCM Research Center at the Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz, 8036 Graz, Austria
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17
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Ocampo FF, Promsena P, Chan P. Update on Central Nervous System Effects of the Intersection of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2023; 20:345-356. [PMID: 37950846 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-023-00676-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Research has shown myriad neurologic and mental health manifestations during the acute and subsequent stages of COVID-19 in people with HIV (PWH). This review summarizes the updates on central nervous system (CNS) outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in PWH and highlight the existing knowledge gaps in this area. RECENT FINDINGS Studies leveraging electronic record systems have highlighted the excess risk of developing acute and lingering neurological complications of COVID-19 in PWH compared to people without HIV (PWoH). However, there is a notable scarcity of neuroimaging as well as blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) marker studies that can confirm the potential synergy between these two infections, particularly in PWH receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Considering the unclear potential interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, clinicians should remain vigilant regarding new-onset or worsening neurological symptoms in PWH following COVID-19, as they could be linked to either infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferron F Ocampo
- SEARCH Research Foundation, Block 28, 926 Tower C Room C114-C115 Soi Chula 7, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
| | - Pathariya Promsena
- SEARCH Research Foundation, Block 28, 926 Tower C Room C114-C115 Soi Chula 7, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Phillip Chan
- Department of Neurology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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18
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Georgieva E, Ananiev J, Yovchev Y, Arabadzhiev G, Abrashev H, Abrasheva D, Atanasov V, Kostandieva R, Mitev M, Petkova-Parlapanska K, Karamalakova Y, Koleva-Korkelia I, Tsoneva V, Nikolova G. COVID-19 Complications: Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Mitochondrial and Endothelial Dysfunction. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14876. [PMID: 37834324 PMCID: PMC10573237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection, discovered and isolated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, causes acute atypical respiratory symptoms and has led to profound changes in our lives. COVID-19 is characterized by a wide range of complications, which include pulmonary embolism, thromboembolism and arterial clot formation, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathy, multiorgan failure, and more. The disease has caused a worldwide pandemic, and despite various measures such as social distancing, various preventive strategies, and therapeutic approaches, and the creation of vaccines, the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) still hides many mysteries for the scientific community. Oxidative stress has been suggested to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and determining free radical levels in patients with coronavirus infection may provide an insight into disease severity. The generation of abnormal levels of oxidants under a COVID-19-induced cytokine storm causes the irreversible oxidation of a wide range of macromolecules and subsequent damage to cells, tissues, and organs. Clinical studies have shown that oxidative stress initiates endothelial damage, which increases the risk of complications in COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 or long-COVID-19 cases. This review describes the role of oxidative stress and free radicals in the mediation of COVID-19-induced mitochondrial and endothelial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Georgieva
- Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Deontology and Dermatovenerology, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Julian Ananiev
- Department of General and Clinical Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Deontology and Dermatovenerology, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Yovcho Yovchev
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesiology, University Hospital “Prof. Dr. St. Kirkovich”, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (Y.Y.); (G.A.)
| | - Georgi Arabadzhiev
- Department of Surgery and Anesthesiology, University Hospital “Prof. Dr. St. Kirkovich”, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (Y.Y.); (G.A.)
| | - Hristo Abrashev
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Despina Abrasheva
- II Department of Internal Medicine Therapy: Cardiology, Rheumatology, Hematology and Gastroenterology, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Vasil Atanasov
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, Military Medical Academy, 3 G. Sofiiski, 1606 Sofia, Bulgaria; (V.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Rositsa Kostandieva
- Forensic Toxicology Laboratory, Military Medical Academy, 3 G. Sofiiski, 1606 Sofia, Bulgaria; (V.A.); (R.K.)
| | - Mitko Mitev
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Hospital “Prof. Dr. St. Kirkovich”, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Kamelia Petkova-Parlapanska
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (K.P.-P.); (Y.K.)
| | - Yanka Karamalakova
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (K.P.-P.); (Y.K.)
| | - Iliana Koleva-Korkelia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic, University Hospital “Prof. St. Kirkovich”, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Vanya Tsoneva
- Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Medicine and Clinical Laboratory, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Galina Nikolova
- Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 11 Armeiska Str., 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; (K.P.-P.); (Y.K.)
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19
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Ruiz-Pablos M, Paiva B, Zabaleta A. Epstein-Barr virus-acquired immunodeficiency in myalgic encephalomyelitis-Is it present in long COVID? J Transl Med 2023; 21:633. [PMID: 37718435 PMCID: PMC10506247 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04515-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Both myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID (LC) are characterized by similar immunological alterations, persistence of chronic viral infection, autoimmunity, chronic inflammatory state, viral reactivation, hypocortisolism, and microclot formation. They also present with similar symptoms such as asthenia, exercise intolerance, sleep disorders, cognitive dysfunction, and neurological and gastrointestinal complaints. In addition, both pathologies present Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation, indicating the possibility of this virus being the link between both pathologies. Therefore, we propose that latency and recurrent EBV reactivation could generate an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in three steps: first, an acquired EBV immunodeficiency develops in individuals with "weak" EBV HLA-II haplotypes, which prevents the control of latency I cells. Second, ectopic lymphoid structures with EBV latency form in different tissues (including the CNS), promoting inflammatory responses and further impairment of cell-mediated immunity. Finally, immune exhaustion occurs due to chronic exposure to viral antigens, with consolidation of the disease. In the case of LC, prior to the first step, there is the possibility of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals with "weak" HLA-II haplotypes against this virus and/or EBV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bruno Paiva
- Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Av. Pío XII 55, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Aintzane Zabaleta
- Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Av. Pío XII 55, 31008, Pamplona, Spain.
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20
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Bernal KDE, Whitehurst CB. Incidence of Epstein-Barr virus reactivation is elevated in COVID-19 patients. Virus Res 2023; 334:199157. [PMID: 37364815 PMCID: PMC10292739 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19, an infectious respiratory illness, is caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Individuals with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of developing serious illnesses such as long COVID. Recent studies have observed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation in patients with severe illness or long COVID, which may contribute to associated symptoms. We determined the frequency of EBV reactivation in COVID-19 positive patients compared to COVID-19 negative patients. 106 blood plasma samples were collected from COVID-19 positive and negative patients and EBV reactivation was determined by detection of EBV DNA and antibodies against EBV lytic genes in individuals with previous EBV infection. 27.1% (13/48) of EBV reactivations, based on qPCR detection of EBV genomes, are from the COVID positive group while only 12.5% (6/48) of reactivations belonged to the negative group. 20/52 (42.30%) of the COVID PCR negative group had detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (Np); indicative of past infection. A significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 Np protein level was found in the COVID-19 positive group. In conclusion, COVID-19 patients experienced increased reactivation of EBV in comparison to COVID negative patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keishanne Danielle E Bernal
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, New York Medical College, Basic Medical Sciences Building, 15 Dana Rd. Valhalla, NY 10595; Westlake High School, 825 Westlake Dr., Thornwood, NY 10594
| | - Christopher B Whitehurst
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, New York Medical College, Basic Medical Sciences Building, 15 Dana Rd. Valhalla, NY 10595.
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21
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Đogaš T, Novak I, Babić M, Vučković M, Tandara L, Radić J. Associations of Serum Calprotectin, Arterial Stiffness and Long COVID Symptoms in Dalmatian Kidney Transplant Recipients. Viruses 2023; 15:1776. [PMID: 37632118 PMCID: PMC10458603 DOI: 10.3390/v15081776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to explore long COVID symptoms, serum calprotectin levels, and the parameters of arterial stiffness in Dalmatian kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and their possible associations. A cross-sectional, single-center case-control study on 98 KTRs who had recovered from COVID-19 was performed. Long COVID symptoms were explored via standardized questionnaires assessing quality of life, and serum calprotectin was also measured. Out of 98 KTRs with a mean age of 62 years, 63 (64.3%) were men. Medical history, clinical and laboratory parameters, and arterial stiffness measurements were obtained for each study participant. Difficulties with mobility were present in 44.3% of the KTRs, while difficulties with self-care were present in 6.2%, difficulties with usual activities were demonstrated by 35.1%, pain in the extremities was present in 52.5%, and anxiety and depression were present in 26.8%. Our results showed significant differences regarding serum calprotectin levels in clinical manifestations of acute COVID-19 and follow-up laboratory parameters. The most significant positive predictors of the serum calprotectin value in the KTRs were respiratory insufficiency, acute kidney failure, the prescription of antihypertensives, leukocyte and neutrophil counts, the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Negative predictors were the time since COVID-19, high-density lipoprotein levels, kidney function parameters, and the lymphocyte count. To conclude, serum calprotectin has emerged as a possible promising biomarker for subclinical allograft rejection; however, further studies are needed to better understand this subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Đogaš
- Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Hemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia; (T.Đ.); (I.N.); (M.B.); (M.V.)
| | - Ivana Novak
- Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Hemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia; (T.Đ.); (I.N.); (M.B.); (M.V.)
| | - Marija Babić
- Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Hemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia; (T.Đ.); (I.N.); (M.B.); (M.V.)
| | - Marijana Vučković
- Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Hemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia; (T.Đ.); (I.N.); (M.B.); (M.V.)
| | - Leida Tandara
- Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics, University Hospital of Split, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia;
| | - Josipa Radić
- Internal Medicine Department, Nephrology and Hemodialysis Division, University Hospital of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia; (T.Đ.); (I.N.); (M.B.); (M.V.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000 Split, Croatia
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22
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Carneiro VCDS, Moreira ODC, Coelho WLDCNP, Rio BC, Sarmento DJDS, Salvio AL, Alves-Leon SV, de Paula VS, Leon LAA. miRNAs in Neurological Manifestation in Patients Co-Infected with SARS-CoV-2 and Herpesvírus 6 (HHV-6). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11201. [PMID: 37446381 PMCID: PMC10342854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human herpesviruses (HHVs) can establish latency and be reactivated, also are neurotropic viruses that can trigger neurological disorders. HHV-6 is a herpesvirus that is associated with neurological disorders. Studies have reported the detection of HHV-6 in patients with COVID-19 and neurological manifestations. However, specific diagnoses of the neurological disorders caused by these viruses tend to be invasive or difficult to interpret. This study aimed to establish a relationship between miRNA and neurological manifestations in patients co-infected with COVID-19 and HHV-6 and evaluate miRNAs as potential biomarkers. Serum samples from COVID-19 patients in the three cohorts were analyzed. miRNA analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) revealed miRNAs associated with neuroinflammation were highly expressed in patients with neurological disorders and HHV-6 detection. When compared with the group of patients without detection of HHVs DNA and without neurological alterations, the group with detection of HHV-6 DNA and neurological alteration, displayed significant differences in the expression of mir-21, mir-146a, miR-155 and miR-let-7b (p < 0.01). Our results reinforce the involvement of miRNAs in neurological disorders and provide insights into their use as biomarkers for neurological disorders triggered by HHV-6. Furthermore, understanding the expression of miRNAs may contribute to therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Cristine de Souza Carneiro
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Parasitology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratory of Technological Development in Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil (L.A.A.L.)
| | - Otacilio da Cruz Moreira
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Parasitology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
- Real Time PCR Platform RPT09A, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
| | | | - Beatriz Chan Rio
- Laboratory of Technological Development in Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil (L.A.A.L.)
| | | | - Andreza Lemos Salvio
- Laboratory of Translacional Neurosciences, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro-UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro 22290-240, Brazil
| | - Soniza Vieira Alves-Leon
- Laboratory of Translacional Neurosciences, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro-UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro 22290-240, Brazil
- Department of Neurology, Reference and Research Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Other Central Nervous System Idiopathic Demyelinating Inflammatory Diseases, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-617, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Salete de Paula
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Parasitology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Luciane Almeida Amado Leon
- Laboratory of Technological Development in Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil (L.A.A.L.)
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23
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Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Lopez-Echeverri MC, Perez-Raga MF, Quintero-Romero V, Valencia-Gallego V, Galindo-Herrera N, López-Alzate S, Sánchez-Vinasco JD, Gutiérrez-Vargas JJ, Mayta-Tristan P, Husni R, Moghnieh R, Stephan J, Faour W, Tawil S, Barakat H, Chaaban T, Megarbane A, Rizk Y, Sakr R, Escalera-Antezana JP, Alvarado-Arnez LE, Bonilla-Aldana DK, Camacho-Moreno G, Mendoza H, Rodriguez-Sabogal IA, Millán-Oñate J, Lopardo G, Barbosa AN, Cimerman S, Chaves TDSS, Orduna T, Lloveras S, Rodriguez-Morales AG, Thormann M, Zambrano PG, Perez C, Sandoval N, Zambrano L, Alvarez-Moreno CA, Chacon-Cruz E, Villamil-Gomez WE, Benites-Zapata V, Savio-Larriera E, Cardona-Ospina JA, Risquez A, Forero-Peña DA, Henao-Martínez AF, Sah R, Barboza JJ, León-Figueroa DA, Acosta-España JD, Carrero-Gonzalez CM, Al-Tawfiq JA, Rabaan AA, Leblebicioglu H, Gonzales-Zamora JA, Ulloa-Gutiérrez R. The global challenges of the long COVID-19 in adults and children. Travel Med Infect Dis 2023; 54:102606. [PMID: 37295581 PMCID: PMC10247301 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas-Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Risaralda, Colombia; Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, 15067, Peru; Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon.
| | - María Camila Lopez-Echeverri
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Maria Fernanda Perez-Raga
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Valentina Quintero-Romero
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Valentina Valencia-Gallego
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Nicolas Galindo-Herrera
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Santiago López-Alzate
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Juan Diego Sánchez-Vinasco
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Juan José Gutiérrez-Vargas
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia
| | - Percy Mayta-Tristan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, 15067, Peru
| | - Rola Husni
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Rima Moghnieh
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Joseph Stephan
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Wissam Faour
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Samah Tawil
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Hanane Barakat
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Toufic Chaaban
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Andre Megarbane
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Youssef Rizk
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Rania Sakr
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, 1102, Lebanon
| | - Juan Pablo Escalera-Antezana
- Direction of First Level, Municipal Secretary of Health, Municipal Autonomous Government of Cochabamba, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | | | | | - German Camacho-Moreno
- Department of Pediatrics, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, DC, Colombia; Division of Infectious Diseases, HOMI, Hospital Pediátrico La Misericordia, Bogotá, DC, Colombia; Fundación Hospital Infantil Universitario de San José, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Henry Mendoza
- Hemera Unidad de Infectología IPS SAS, Bogota, Colombia
| | | | - Jose Millán-Oñate
- Clinica Imbanaco Grupo Quironsalud, Cali, Colombia; Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali, Colombia; Clinica de Occidente, Cali, Colombia; Clinica Sebastián de Belalcazar, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Gustavo Lopardo
- Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alexandre Naime Barbosa
- Infectious Diseases Department, Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, Brazilian Society for Infectious Diseases, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Cimerman
- Institute of Infectious Diseases Emilio Ribas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tânia do Socorro Souza Chaves
- Evandro Chagas Institute, Health of Ministry of Brazil, Belém, Pará, Brazil; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil
| | - Tomas Orduna
- Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Susana Lloveras
- Cátedra de Enfermedades Infecciosas, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Hospital de Enfermedades Infecciosas F. J. Muñiz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea G Rodriguez-Morales
- Unidad Procedimientos, Policlínico Neurología, Centro de Referencia de Salud Dr. Salvador Allende Gossens, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Monica Thormann
- Hospital Salvador Bienvenido Gautier, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
| | | | - Clevy Perez
- Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
| | | | - Lysien Zambrano
- Institute for Research in Medical Sciences and Right to Health (ICIMEDES), National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Carlos A Alvarez-Moreno
- National Clinical Coordinator COVID-19-WHO Studies, Colombia; Clinica Universitaria Colombia, Clinica Colsanitas and Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia
| | | | - Wilmer E Villamil-Gomez
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Barranquilla, Colombia; Grupo de Expertos Clínicos Secretaria de Salud de Barranquilla, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Vicente Benites-Zapata
- Unidad de Investigación para la Generación y Síntesis de Evidencias en Salud, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Jaime A Cardona-Ospina
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas, Pereira, 660003, Colombia; Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Alejandro Risquez
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - David A Forero-Peña
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela; Biomedical Research and Therapeutic Vaccines Institute, Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela
| | - Andrés F Henao-Martínez
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Mail Stop B168, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Ranjit Sah
- Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal; Department of Microbiology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, 411018, Maharashtra, India; Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Maharashtra, India
| | | | | | - Jaime David Acosta-España
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstraße 13, 07745, Jena, Germany; Postgraduate Program in Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq
- Specialty Internal Medicine and Quality Department, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, 34465, Saudi Arabia; Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 47405, USA; Infectious Disease Division, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Ali A Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, 31311, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, 11533, Saudi Arabia; Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur, 22610, Pakistan
| | - Hakan Leblebicioglu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, VM Medicalpark Samsun Hospital, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Jose A Gonzales-Zamora
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Rolando Ulloa-Gutiérrez
- Servicio de Infectología Pediátrica, Hospital Nacional de Niños "Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera", Centro de Ciencias Médicas, Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), San José, Costa Rica; Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Médicas UCIMED (IICIMED), San José, Costa Rica; Cátedra de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas (UCIMED), San José, Costa Rica
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24
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Tsilingiris D, Vallianou NG, Karampela I, Christodoulatos GS, Papavasileiou G, Petropoulou D, Magkos F, Dalamaga M. Laboratory Findings and Biomarkers in Long COVID: What Do We Know So Far? Insights into Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Therapeutic Perspectives and Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10458. [PMID: 37445634 PMCID: PMC10341908 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Long COVID (LC) encompasses a constellation of long-term symptoms experienced by at least 10% of people after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, and so far it has affected about 65 million people. The etiology of LC remains unclear; however, many pathophysiological pathways may be involved, including viral persistence; a chronic, low-grade inflammatory response; immune dysregulation and a defective immune response; the reactivation of latent viruses; autoimmunity; persistent endothelial dysfunction and coagulopathy; gut dysbiosis; hormonal and metabolic dysregulation; mitochondrial dysfunction; and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. There are no specific tests for the diagnosis of LC, and clinical features including laboratory findings and biomarkers may not specifically relate to LC. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to develop and validate biomarkers that can be employed for the prediction, diagnosis and prognosis of LC and its therapeutic response, although this effort may be hampered by challenges pertaining to the non-specific nature of the majority of clinical manifestations in the LC spectrum, small sample sizes of relevant studies and other methodological issues. Promising candidate biomarkers that are found in some patients are markers of systemic inflammation, including acute phase proteins, cytokines and chemokines; biomarkers reflecting SARS-CoV-2 persistence, the reactivation of herpesviruses and immune dysregulation; biomarkers of endotheliopathy, coagulation and fibrinolysis; microbiota alterations; diverse proteins and metabolites; hormonal and metabolic biomarkers; and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. At present, there are only two reviews summarizing relevant biomarkers; however, they do not cover the entire umbrella of current biomarkers, their link to etiopathogenetic mechanisms or the diagnostic work-up in a comprehensive manner. Herein, we aim to appraise and synopsize the available evidence on the typical laboratory manifestations and candidate biomarkers of LC, their classification based on pathogenetic mechanisms and the main LC symptomatology in the frame of the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the syndrome and furthermore assess limitations and challenges as well as potential implications in candidate therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Tsilingiris
- First Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece;
| | - Natalia G. Vallianou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Evangelismos General Hospital, 45-47 Ipsilantou Street, 10676 Athens, Greece;
| | - Irene Karampela
- 2nd Department of Critical Care, Medical School, University of Athens, Attikon General University Hospital, 1 Rimini Street, 12462 Athens, Greece;
| | | | - Georgios Papavasileiou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (G.P.); (D.P.)
| | - Dimitra Petropoulou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (G.P.); (D.P.)
| | - Faidon Magkos
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise, and Sports, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Frederiksberg, Denmark;
| | - Maria Dalamaga
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (G.P.); (D.P.)
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25
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Lafon-Hughes L. Towards Understanding Long COVID: SARS-CoV-2 Strikes the Host Cell Nucleus. Pathogens 2023; 12:806. [PMID: 37375496 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite what its name suggests, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic causative agent "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2" (SARS-CoV-2) were not always confined, neither temporarily (being long-term rather than acute, referred to as Long COVID) nor spatially (affecting several body systems). Moreover, the in-depth study of this ss(+) RNA virus is defying the established scheme according to which it just had a lytic cycle taking place confined to cell membranes and the cytoplasm, leaving the nucleus basically "untouched". Cumulative evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 components disturb the transport of certain proteins through the nuclear pores. Some SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins such as Spike (S) and Nucleocapsid (N), most non-structural proteins (remarkably, Nsp1 and Nsp3), as well as some accessory proteins (ORF3d, ORF6, ORF9a) can reach the nucleoplasm either due to their nuclear localization signals (NLS) or taking a shuttle with other proteins. A percentage of SARS-CoV-2 RNA can also reach the nucleoplasm. Remarkably, controversy has recently been raised by proving that-at least under certain conditions-, SARS-CoV-2 sequences can be retrotranscribed and inserted as DNA in the host genome, giving rise to chimeric genes. In turn, the expression of viral-host chimeric proteins could potentially create neo-antigens, activate autoimmunity and promote a chronic pro-inflammatory state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lafon-Hughes
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
- Grupo de Biofisicoquímica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Universitario Regional Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República (CENUR-UdelaR), Salto 50000, Uruguay
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26
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Marshall GD. The pathophysiology of postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC): Possible role for persistent inflammation. Asia Pac Allergy 2023; 13:77-84. [PMID: 37388814 PMCID: PMC10287107 DOI: 10.5415/apallergy.0000000000000106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As the SARS-CoV-2-induced pandemic wanes, a substantial number of patients with acute Corona Virus-induced disease (COVID-19 continue to have symptoms for a prolonged time after initial infection. These patients are said to have postacute sequelae of COVID (PASC) or "long COVID". The underlying pathophysiology of this syndrome is poorly understood and likely quite heterogeneous. The role of persistent, possibly deviant inflammation as a major factor in comorbidity is suspected. Objective To review data that address the relative importance of inflammation in the pathophysiology spectrum of PASC and to address how this would impact diagnosis and approach to therapy in patients identified as having such inflammatory abnormalities. Methods A review of public databases, including PubMed, MeSH, NLM catalog, and clinical trial databases such as clinicaltrials.gov. Results The literature supports a prominent role for various forms and types of inflammation in the pathophysiologic spectrum of PASC. Such inflammation can be persistent ant CoV-2-specific responses, new onset autoimmune responses, or a loss of normal immunoregulation resulting in widespread, sustained inflammatory pathologies that can affect both broad constitutional symptoms (such as fatigue, neurocognitive dysfunction, and anxiety/depression) and organ-specific dysfunction and/or failure. Conclusions PASC is a significant clinical entity with similarities to and differences from other postviral syndromes. Significant research efforts are ongoing to better understand specific aberrant inflammatory pathways present in individual patients for the purpose of developing and implementing effective therapies and ultimately prophylaxis strategies to prevent the progression of COVID-19 as well as likely future viral illnesses and pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gailen D. Marshall
- Department of Medicine, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
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Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Torres-Macho J, Guijarro C, Martín-Guerrero JD, Pellicer-Valero OJ, Plaza-Manzano G. Trajectory of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Previously Hospitalized COVID-19 Survivors: The Long COVID Experience Multicenter Study. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051134. [PMID: 37243220 DOI: 10.3390/v15051134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This multicenter cohort study used Sankey plots and exponential bar plots to visualize the fluctuating evolution and the trajectory of gastrointestinal symptoms in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors during the first 18 months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 1266 previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors were assessed at four points: hospital admission (T0), at 8.4 months (T1), at 13.2 months (T2), and at 18.3 months (T3) after hospitalization. Participants were asked about their overall gastrointestinal symptoms and particularly diarrhea. Clinical and hospitalization data were collected from hospital medical records. The prevalence of overall gastrointestinal post-COVID symptomatology was 6.3% (n = 80) at T1, 3.99% (n = 50) at T2 and 2.39% (n = 32) at T3. The prevalence of diarrhea decreased from 10.69% (n = 135) at hospital admission (T0), to 2.55% (n = 32) at T1, to 1.04% (n = 14) at T2, and to 0.64% (n = 8) at T3. The Sankey plots revealed that just 20 (1.59%) and 4 (0.32%) patients exhibited overall gastrointestinal post-COVID symptoms or diarrhea, respectively, throughout the whole follow-up period. The recovery fitted exponential curves revealed a decreasing prevalence trend, showing that diarrhea and gastrointestinal symptoms recover during the first two or three years after COVID-19 in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors. The regression models did not reveal any symptoms to be associated with the presence of gastrointestinal post-COVID symptomatology or post-COVID diarrhea at hospital admission or at T1. The use of Sankey plots revealed the fluctuating evolution of gastrointestinal post-COVID symptoms during the first two years after infection. In addition, exponential bar plots revealed the decreased prevalence of gastrointestinal post-COVID symptomatology during the first three years after infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Fernández-de-Las-Peñas
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Torres-Macho
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor-Virgen de la Torre, 28031 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Guijarro
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, 28922 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC), 28922 Madrid, Spain
| | - José D Martín-Guerrero
- Intelligent Data Analysis Laboratory, Department of Electronic Engineering, ETSE (Engineering School), Universitat de València (UV), 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Oscar J Pellicer-Valero
- Image Processing Laboratory (IPL), Universitat de València, Parc Científic, Paterna, 46010 València, Spain
| | - Gustavo Plaza-Manzano
- Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), IdISSC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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