November 2nd 2023

Inserm VRI-led research reveals predictors of severe disease and long COVID symptoms

Inserm VRI-led research reveals predictors of severe disease and long COVID symptoms

The CARE partner Inserm-VRI has recently published two articles pertaining to severe SARS-CoV-2 infected patients from the French COVID cohort. The first article delves into the severity of SARS-CoV2 infection, to identify markers associated with the extent of severity of SARS-CoV2 infection. The second article characterized gene expression and cellular markers related to the persistence of symptoms post a severe infection.

Identifying COVID-19 patients who are at high risk of worse prognosis after severe disease is challenging. Inserm-VRI studied the blood of 61 patients who were hospitalized with severe COVID-19 and compared it to healthy people. They found that certain immune cells were abnormal, and there were many markers of inflammation. They identified a specific neutrophil activation marker, called CD177, which is present in high levels in the sera of severe COVID-19 patients and could predict which patients might develop severe disease. More importantly, measuring CD177 over time allowed them to identify patients with poor prognosis from those who will recover. These findings suggest that neutrophil activation is a hallmark of severe COVID-19 disease, and CD177 assessment could help identify patients at high risk for severe disease. Click here for the publication.

After recovering from severe COVID-19, some people may still experience prolonged symptoms. The CARE partner Inserm-VRI investigated the immune system dysfunction that causes these long-lasting symptoms. They analyzed the blood of severe COVID-19 patients at 1, 3 and 6 months after leaving the hospital and found abnormalities that persisted up to 6 months after discharge. These included high levels of markers of inflammation, changes in certain types of immune cells, a decrease in antibodies against the virus, and changes in gene expression related to blood clotting. They also identified a set of genes associated with thrombotic events in the acute phase of infection. The fact that these abnormalities persisted for up to six months, even in patients who were no longer experiencing symptoms, suggests that continued monitoring and preventive measures may be necessary. Click here for the publication.