We investigated the continuing antibody response in LIINC participants months after their initial COVID-19 infection. We found that participants that had broader antibody responses 4 months following initial infection had greater odds of developing Long COVID and specifically experiencing gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. Our findings suggest that relationships between various immune responses and Long COVID […]
Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation, and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2
We analyzed blood samples from a subset of LIINC participants with and without Long COVID about 8 months after their infection with COVID-19. We found that people with Long COVID had higher levels of systemic inflammation and immune system dysregulation than those without. More specifically, people with Long COVID had overly active or exhausted T […]
Low Prevalence of Interferon α Autoantibodies in People Experiencing Symptoms of Post–Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Conditions, or Long COVID
We studied the blood of LIINC volunteers for aberrant antibodies specific to self-proteins called interferons. These antibodies are sometimes detrimental to the immune response as interferon proteins help ramp up the immune response during infections. The presence of such antibodies is thought to be a potential driver of severe COVID-19. However, in the context of […]
Chronic viral coinfections differentially affect the likelihood of developing long COVID
We studied how the presence and reactivation of chronic viral infections such as Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and HIV affects the likelihood of developing Long COVID and/or certain Long COVID symptom clusters in our LIINC cohort. We found that serological evidence suggesting recent EBV reactivation was increased in those with fatigue and neurocognitive Long […]
Post-acute sequelae and adaptive immune responses in people living with HIV recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection
We studied how the presence and reactivation of chronic viral infections such as Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and HIV affects the likelihood of developing Long COVID and/or certain Long COVID symptom clusters in our LIINC cohort. We found that serological evidence suggesting recent EBV reactivation was increased in those with fatigue and neurocognitive Long […]
Markers of fungal translocation are elevated during post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 and induce NF-κB signaling
The LIINC team, working with collaborators at the Wistar Institute, used plasma from LIINC volunteers with and without Long COVID symptoms and measured markers of bacterial and fungal translocation – evidence that microbes from the lungs or GI tract could be leaking into the blood. They found that people with Long COVID had higher levels […]
Plasma Markers of Neurologic Injury and Inflammation in People with Self-Reported Neurologic Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Plasma Markers of Neurologic Injury and Inflammation in People with Self-Reported Neurologic Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Role of antibodies, inflammatory markers, and echocardiographic findings in post-acute cardiopulmonary symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection
The LIINC cardiology team has carefully studied blood markers following COVID-19 along with cardiac echocardiograms (ultrasounds) in a subset of LIINC volunteers. They found that people with Long COVID with heart and lung symptoms demonstrated elevations in certain markers of inflammation and a handful had findings suggestive of mild inflammation around the heart.
SARS-CoV-2 and mitochondrial proteins in neural-derived exosomes of COVID-19
LIINC collaborators studied individuals with neuropsychiatric symptoms following COVID-19 — things like symptoms of depression, anxiety, and irritability — and found abnormal levels of different proteins in extracellular vesicles that came from nervous system cells. Specifically, they found that there were elevated levels of COVID virus proteins in these vesicles, and lower levels of proteins […]
Early clues regarding the pathogenesis of Long COVID
LIINC Principal Investigators Dr. Michael Peluso and Dr. Steven Deeks write about some of the recent studies on Long COVID, with a view toward describing our current understanding of the condition. The discuss what some recent studies do well, and what researchers could do better, in piecing together clues needed to figure out the biology […]