Summary: An overactive inflammatory response might be the key to many long COVID cases. Through an examination of proteins in the blood, the researchers discovered unique inflammation markers present only in a subset of long COVID patients.
The findings suggest that targeted anti-inflammatory treatments could potentially alleviate symptoms for this group. However, pinpointing which long COVID patients might benefit from such interventions remains a challenge.
Key Facts:
- Around two-thirds of the 55 patients with long COVID showed persistently high levels of specific inflammation signals.
- The inflammation observed in patients with “inflammatory long COVID” mirrors that seen in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that JAK inhibitors may be a potential treatment.
- Distinguishing between patients with inflammatory and non-inflammatory long COVID is critical for treatment as their conditions require different therapeutic approaches.
Source: Allen Institute
An overactive inflammatory response could be at the root of many long COVID cases, according to a new study from the Allen Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
Looking at proteins circulating in the blood, the scientists found a set of molecules associated with inflammation that were present only in a subset of patients with long COVID and were not seen in those who recovered from their disease.
The researchers published an article describing their findings in the journal Nature Communications today.
Out of 55 patients with long COVID, about two-thirds had persistently high levels of certain signals of inflammation. The scientists also looked at blood samples from 25 people who had COVID but recovered, and from 25 volunteers who had never had COVID to their knowledge. Those without long COVID did not show the same signs of inflammation in their blood.