Tag: long covid etiology

COVID-19 and Mitochondrial Non-Coding RNAs: New Insights From Published Data

Abstract:

Scientists all around the world are working to investigate new ways to prevent and treat COVID-19, and recent research has been focusing on the effects of a syndrome commonly called “long COVID.” People affected by this syndrome usually suffer from symptoms like the ones observed in several types of fatigue syndrome. As these syndromes are often linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, researchers hypothesized that a dysfunction in the mitochondrial metabolism might be part of the causes of long COVID. However, while there are a few studies investigating the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on mitochondrial metabolism, the effect on the transcription of mitochondrial non-coding RNAs has not been investigated yet. Thus, using publicly available data, I explored the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the expression of several mitochondrial non-coding RNAs in patients recovering from COVID-19.

No change in the expression of long non-coding RNAs was detected at any stage of the infection, but up to 43 small mitochondrial RNAs have their expression altered during the recovery from COVID-19. This result suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 infection somehow affected the metabolism of small mitochondrial RNAs specifically without altering the overall mitochondrial transcription. Despite these being only preliminary results on a small cohort, the analyses clearly showed that individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 retain an altered expression of these small RNAs. This persistent alteration in the expression of small mitochondrial RNAs might be involved in the long COVID syndrome and further studies are needed to confirm the possibility.

Source: Pozzi A. COVID-19 and Mitochondrial Non-Coding RNAs: New Insights From Published Data. Front Physiol. 2022 Feb 4;12:805005. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.805005. PMID: 35185603; PMCID: PMC8856670. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8856670/ (Full text)

Assessment and Management of Long COVID

Abstract:

Almost two years into the pandemic, the scientific and healthcare communities continue to learn a great deal regarding COVID-19, the disease produced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Broad variability during acute COVID-19 infection is seen, ranging from asymptomatic presentation to death. The vast majority of individuals who develop COVID-19 return to their pre-COVID-19 baseline within several weeks.

However, a portion of patients will develop a post-COVID-19 syndrome of persistent cognitive, somatic, and behavioral symptoms. This syndrome, designated as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, is more commonly known as long COVID. The objectives of this paper are to inform psychologists regarding our current understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of COVID-19, review criteria for range of severity during acute illness, present clinical manifestations of long haul phenomena, and discuss the emerging literature base of evidence-based treatment and management approaches.

Source: Rivas-Vazquez, R.A., Rey, G., Quintana, A. et al. Assessment and Management of Long COVID. J Health Serv Psychol 48, 21–30 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-022-00055-8  (Full study)

Long COVID from rheumatology perspective: a simple mimicker or promoter of autoimmunity?

Dear editor,

We have read with great interest the review article by Sapkota et al. which has been recently published in the Clinical Rheumatology journal dealing with long COVID []. In this paper, the authors reported the symptoms and immunological findings of patients who were infected from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronovirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). These symptoms and laboratory features share similarities with those of patients suffering from autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). They concluded that long COVID is a mimicker of ARDs and needs to be excluded to ensure a correct diagnosis [].

Recently, we reported a patient who contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection and developed an erosive seronegative arthritis six months after infection []. Musculoskeletal, cutaneous, and other systemic manifestations, along with the presence of autoantibodies, are frequently observed in these patients. On the other hand, SARS-CoV-2 may trigger autoimmune responses and the development of de-novo manifestations of ARDs, as in our patient []. The pathogenesis of these phenomena is not well defined. One hypothesis implies the presence of autoantibodies against interferon (IFN) type-I, or inborn errors in the type-I IFN immunity [, ]. Another hypothesis is that SARS-CoV-2 might trigger autoimmune responses through molecular mimicry []. Several viruses have been implicated as possible etiological factors for the development of ARDs, mostly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and others. Between viruses Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is implicated in the pathogenesis of the above disorders [, ]. Indeed, EBV can trigger immune responses through molecular mimicry and is a polyclonal activator of B-cells and increases the production of rheumatoid factor (RF). Several studies suggested that molecular mimicry is a possible mechanism responsible for the development of ARDs in SARS-CoV-2 infection [, ]. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 may trigger autoimmunity and the possible development of the de novo manifestations of ARDs.

Read the full article HERE.

Source: Drosos AA, Pelechas E, Voulgari PV. Long COVID from rheumatology perspective: a simple mimicker or promoter of autoimmunity? Clin Rheumatol. 2022 Feb 11:1–2. doi: 10.1007/s10067-022-06092-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35147823; PMCID: PMC8831874. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8831874/ (Full text)

Study points to vagus nerve dysfunction as a central pathophysiological feature of long COVID

New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022, Lisbon, 23-26 April) suggests that many of the symptoms connected to post-COVID syndrome (PCC, also known as long COVID) could be linked to the effect of the virus on the vagus nerve – one of the most important multi-functional nerves in the body. The study is by Dr Gemma Lladós and Dr Lourdes Mateu, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain, and colleagues.

The vagus nerve extends from the brain down into the torso and into the heart, lungs and intestines, as well as several muscles including those involved in swallowing. As such, this nerve is responsible for a wide variety of bodily functions including controlling heart rate, speech, the gag reflex, transferring food from the mouth to the stomach, moving food through the intestines, sweating, and many others.

Read the rest of this article HERE..

Source: European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220212/Study-points-to-vagus-nerve-dysfunction-as-a-central-pathophysiological-feature-of-long-COVID.aspx

Association Between SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia and Postacute Sequelae of COVID-19

Abstract:

Determinants of Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 are not known. Here we show that 83.3% of patients with viral RNA in blood (RNAemia) at presentation were symptomatic in the post-acute phase. RNAemia at presentation successfully predicted PASC, independent of patient demographics, worst disease severity, and length of symptoms.

Source: Ram-Mohan N, Kim D, Rogers AJ, Blish CA, Nadeau KC, Blomkalns AL, Yang S. Association Between SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia and Postacute Sequelae of COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Dec 25;9(2):ofab646. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab646. PMID: 35111870; PMCID: PMC8802799. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8802799/ (Full text)

Long COVID: to investigate immunological mechanisms and sex/gender related aspects as fundamental steps for tailored therapy

Introduction:

Around a quarter of people who have had coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience symptoms that continue for at least 1 month, but one in ten are still unwell after 12 weeks. This very debilitating condition has been defined by patient groups as “long COVID”, elsewhere called post-COVID, whereas the patients are frequently called COVID-19 long-haulers [1]. Long COVID has a serious impact on patient ability to go back to work or school, to have a social life and may have significant economic consequences for patients, their families and for society.

The condition is characterised by long-term sequelae and can involve a range of about 200 different and overlapping symptoms, such as persistent fatigue, chest and muscle pain, headache, shortness of breath, anosmia, muscle weakness, fever, cognitive dysfunction (brain fog), tachycardia, intestinal disorders and skin manifestations. It can affect anyone, but women appear to be twice as likely to develop long COVID as men, but only until around age 60 years, when the risk level becomes similar [2–4]. Long COVID has also been described in paediatric patients [5]. An Italian study reported that at least one symptom persisted 4 months after COVID-19 infection [6] whereas an Australian analysis suggested that only 8% of children had ongoing symptoms 3–6 months after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection [7]. No gender difference was observed in the prevalence of long COVID in this population [5].

Source: Elena Ortona, Walter Malorni. Long COVID: to investigate immunological mechanisms and sex/gender related aspects as fundamental steps for tailored therapy. European Respiratory Journal Feb 2022, 59 (2) 2102245; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02245-2021. https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/59/2/2102245?rss=1  (Full text)