Proinflammatory and Immune
The latest study, "Long COVID Involves Activation of Proinflammatory and Immune Exhaustion Pathways," offers compelling evidence for a link between Long COVID and ME/CFS—a connection that has been hypothesized for years. Summary: Researchers studied gene activity in immune cells (PBMCs) from different groups of people, including those with long COVID (LC), those who had COVID but recovered fully (CC), and uninfected individuals. They found that: People with long COVID showed higher levels of inflammation. Many inflammation-related genes, including those for cytokines and chemokines (like IL-6, IL-10, TNF, and others), were more active in the LC group. Genes related to the NLRP3 inflammasome, complement system, and blood clotting were also more active in long COVID patients. In contrast, genes that activate natural killer (NK) cells and T cells were less active in the LC group, suggesting reduced immune activation. Between 3 to 6 months after infection, the...