Tag: blood type

Association of vaccine status, reinfections, and risk factors with Long COVID syndrome

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound global impact, characterized by a high fatality rate and the emergence of enduring consequences known as Long COVID. Our study sought to determine the prevalence of Long COVID syndrome within a population of Northeastern Mexico, correlating it with patients’ comorbidities, number of COVID-19 reinfection, and vaccination status. Employing an observational cross-sectional approach, we administered a comprehensive questionnaire covering medical history, demographics, vaccination status, COVID-related symptoms, and treatment.

Our participant cohort included 807 patients, with an average age of 41.5 (SD 13.6) years, and women accounting 59.3% of the cohort. The follow-up was 488 (IQR 456) days. One hundred sixty-eight subjects (20.9%) met Long COVID criteria. Long COVID-19 was more prevalent when subjects had reinfections (p = 0.02) and less frequent when they had a complete vaccination scheme (p = 0.05).

Through logistic regression, we found that male gender (OR 0.5, p ≤ 0.001), blood types of AB- (OR 0.48, p = 0.003) and O- (OR 0.27, p ≤ 0.001) in comparison with A+ and two doses of vaccines (OR 0.5, p = 006) to be protective factors against Long COVID; while higher BMI (OR 1.04, p = 0.005) was a risk factor.

We saw that the prevalence of Long COVID was different within vaccinated patients and specific blood types, while being female and a higher BMI were associated with an increased risk of having long-COVID.

Source: Romero-Ibarguengoitia ME, Rodríguez-Torres JF, Garza-Silva A, Rivera-Cavazos A, Morales-Rodriguez DP, Hurtado-Cabrera M, Kalife-Assad R, Villarreal-Parra D, Loose-Esparza A, Gutiérrez-Arias JJ, Mata-Porras YG, Ojeda-Salazar DA, Sanz-Sánchez MA, González-Cantú A, Azzolini E, Rescigno M. Association of vaccine status, reinfections, and risk factors with Long COVID syndrome. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 2;14(1):2817. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52925-4. PMID: 38307886; PMCID: PMC10837423. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10837423/ (Full text)

Blood group O is associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome in outpatients with a low comorbidity index

Abstract:

Background: ABO blood group system modulates the inflammatory response and has been implicated in COVID-19. Group O protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection, but there are no data regarding post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). Our aim was to assess this possible association.

Methods: Case-control study in a community setting, with subjects who had experienced mild COVID-19. Cases were PCS+, controls were PCS-, and the exposure variable, group O. We collected age, sex, BMI, smoking, comorbidities, inflammatory markers, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, blood type and clinical data. Five composite inflammatory indices were developed. Multivariate analyses were performed.

Results: We analysed 121 subjects (56.2% women), mean age 45.7 ± 16 years. Blood group frequencies were 41.5%, 7.9%, 5.9%, and 44.5% for A, B, AB and O, respectively. Thirty-six patients were PCS+, without significant differences between cases and controls. Compared to non-O, a higher prevalence of PCS (p = .036), and number of symptoms of PCS (p = .017) were noted in group O. Concerning biomarkers, PCS + and PCS- showed no differences in A, B, and AB groups. In contrast, group O PCS + patients had significantly lower albumin-to-globulin ratio and higher lymphocyte count, fibrinogen, CRP levels, and higher percentages of 3 composite indices, than PCS- subjects. Group O showed a 6-fold increased risk of PCS, compared to non-O (adjusted OR = 6.25 [95%CI, 1.6-23]; p = .007).

Conclusions: Group O has shown a consistent relationship with PCS, characterised by a more intense inflammatory burden than the other blood groups. Blood group O could be part of the immunological link between acute COVID-19 and PCS.

Source: Díaz-Salazar S, Navas R, Sainz-Maza L, Fierro P, Maamar M, Artime A, Basterrechea H, Petitta B, Pini S, Olmos JM, Ramos C, Pariente E, Hernández JL. Blood group O is associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome in outpatients with a low comorbidity index. Infect Dis (Lond). 2022 Dec;54(12):897-908. doi: 10.1080/23744235.2022.2115548. Epub 2022 Aug 27. PMID: 36036090. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23744235.2022.2115548?journalCode=infd20 (Full text)