Immune activation and immune-associated neurotoxicity in Long-COVID: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 103 studies comprising 58 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors.

Publication date: Nov 01, 2024

Multiple studies have shown that Long COVID (LC) disease is associated with heightened immune activation, as evidenced by elevated levels of inflammatory mediators. However, there is no comprehensive meta-analysis focusing on activation of the immune inflammatory response system (IRS) and the compensatory immunoregulatory system (CIRS) along with other immune phenotypes in LC patients. This meta-analysis is designed to explore the IRS and CIRS profiles in LC patients, the individual cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, along with C-reactive protein (CRP) and immune-associated neurotoxicity. To gather relevant studies for our research, we conducted a thorough search using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciFinder, covering all available literature up to July 5th, 2024. The current meta-analysis encompassed 103 studies that examined multiple immune profiles, C-reactive protein, and 58 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors in 5502 LC patients versus 5962 normal controls (NC). LC patients showed significant increases in IRS/CIRS ratio (standardized mean difference (SMD: 0. 156, confidence interval (CI): 0. 062;0. 250), IRS (SMD: 0. 338, CI: 0. 236;0. 440), M1 macrophage (SMD: 0. 371, CI: 0. 263;0. 480), T helper (Th)1 (SMD: 0. 316, CI: 0. 185;0. 446), Th17 (SMD: 0. 439, CI: 0. 302;0. 577) and immune-associated neurotoxicity (SMD: 0. 384, CI: 0. 271;0. 497). In addition, CRP and 21 different cytokines displayed significantly elevated levels in LC patients compared to NC. LC disease is characterized by IRS activation and increased immune-associated neurotoxicity.

Concepts Keywords
Google C-Reactive Protein
Immun C-Reactive Protein
Irs Cell-mediated immunity
July Chemokines
Chemokines
COVID-19
Cytokines
Cytokines
Humans
Immune activation
Inflammation
IRS
Long COVID disease
Neurotoxicity
Neurotoxicity Syndromes
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
SARS-CoV-2

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH Long COVID
pathway REACTOME IRS activation
disease MESH COVID-19
disease MESH Inflammation
disease MESH Syndromes

Original Article

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