Scientists in Vienna have now found this out with extensive blood plasma analyzes of vaccinated people without subsequent illness, people who have completely recovered from Covid 19 infection and long Covid patients.
The scientific work by experts led by Christopher Gerner from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna and by researchers from MedUni Vienna has now been published in the Open Access online journal “iScience” (iScience 2022; DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2022.105717). “Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has also become apparent that not all patients fully recover from SARS-Cov-2 infection. At first, the symptoms of those affected were mainly attributed to psychological factors such as anxiety and stress. It is now recognized that Chronic persistent Covid-19 symptoms following acute infection represent a new somatic condition termed Post-Acute Covid-19 Syndrome (PACS) or Long Covid-19 Syndrome.”
Many questions about Long Covid have not yet been clarified
The authors of the study note that many questions about Long Covid have not yet been clarified: “It is striking that Long Covid syndrome develops independently of the severity of the Covid 19 disease. Possible risk factors and comorbidities are poorly understood.” Chronic exhaustion (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), concentration disorders, cardiac arrhythmias, shortness of breath, etc. would in any case severely impair the quality of life of those affected. So far, however, there have been no exact available markers that could be used to confirm a possible Long Covid diagnosis.
The Viennese scientists wanted to identify exactly such laboratory characteristics with their work. To do this, they analyzed the blood plasma of 13 comparable subjects three times for their immune status: one group of healthy people who had been vaccinated against Covid-19 without subsequent infection, a second group with people affected by Covid-19 who had recovered without any lasting symptoms (at least twelve weeks after the acute illness). and finally a third group of ex-Covid-19 patients (also three months apart after infection) with persistent chronic fatigue. The blood plasma was examined at a special facility of the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna (Joint Metabolome Facility).
Significantly different immune status
The results apparently indicate that long Covid patients have a significantly different immune status than those who have recovered without lasting symptoms: “The diverse analysis of the profiles of cytokines (immune messengers; note) showed in test subjects who had developed a Covid 19 disease recovered had modestly elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to Long Covid Syndrome patients.”
Conversely, significantly lower concentrations of interleukin-18, tumor necrosis factor receptor II and other inflammatory parameters were found in the blood plasma of those affected by Long Covid. The difference between the long Covid patients and those only vaccinated against Covid-19 was smaller than that between the test persons with completely recovered SARS-CoV-2 infection and the people with persistent symptoms of exhaustion. In the group of those who have fully recovered, the inflammatory levels in the blood are likely to be elevated over the long term.
On the other hand, high blood levels of anti-inflammatory proteins, so-called oxylipins, omega-3 fatty acids, taurine, etc., were characteristic of those affected by Long Covid. According to the scientists, this should be due to so-called M2 macrophages, which have an anti-inflammatory effect. In any case, the Viennese scientists write that their results could be important for the future: Overall, they apparently present typical marker characteristics in the blood plasma that occur in long Covid patients. This could make it easier to diagnose the syndrome and find therapies.
According to the German Robert Koch Institute, international studies have shown very different rates of long Covid syndrome: In these studies, the frequency after acute Covid-19 illness was between 7.5 percent and 41 percent in adults without hospitalization because of the SARS-CoV 2 infection. A long covid frequency of almost 37 percent was observed in patients hospitalized for Covid-19.
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