ArticlePLoS pathogens2022
SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associate with inflammation and reduced lung function in pulmonary post-acute sequalae of SARS-CoV-2.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 87 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
87 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 119 citations in OpenAlex.
- Persistent inflammatory cytokine signature in long Covid-19 patients: a meta-analysis.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic Review of Dyspnea and Chronic Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID: Clinical Characteristics and Associated Laboratory Parameters.Pulmonary medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Long COVID: A Mixed Method Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Pooled it
- Increased interleukin-6 is associated with long COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2023Pooled it
- Biomarkers in long COVID-19: A systematic review.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Caspase-11-mediated hyperinflammation impairs CD8+ T cell immunity and viral clearance in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.JCI insight · 2026Article
- T-cell repertoire response in individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Long COVID: Deep single-cell immunophenotyping and machine learning reveal a general signature for fatigue.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Post-Acute Sequelae Patients with Severe COVID-19 History Show a Prolonged Inflammatory, Vascular Injury Pattern.European journal of immunology · 2026Article
- Extensive Immunological and Inflammatory Perturbation Underpins the Respiratory Sequelae of Postacute COVID-19.Open forum infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Symptoms, mechanisms, and management of long COVID: understanding its prevalence, characteristics, and healthcare challenges in Saudi Arabia.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Review
- A perfect storm: the immunological and pathophysiological landscape of pediatric post-COVID-19 condition.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Lingering echoes of SARS-CoV-2: mechanistic insights and management of long COVID syndrome.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Review
- Biological Plausibility Between Long-COVID and Periodontal Disease Development or Progression.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Robust antibody and T cell responses tracked longitudinally in patients with long COVID.The Journal of general virology · 2025Article
- An overview of clinical presentation and management of long COVID.The Nurse practitioner · 2025Review
- Scar wars: the viral menace.American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology · 2025Review
- Inflammatory Milieu and Specific T-Cell Response Observed Three Months and One Year After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Long COVID Subjects.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- A pain from the nose to the head: neurological commitment during long COVID.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2025Review
27 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
As of January 2022, at least 60 million individuals are estimated to develop post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). While elevated levels of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells have been observed in non-specific PASC, little is known about their impact on pulmonary function which is compromised in the majority of these individuals. This study compares frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells and inflammatory markers with lung function in participants with pulmonary PASC and resolved COVID-19 (RC). Compared to RC, participants with respiratory PASC had between 6- and 105-fold higher frequencies of IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood, and elevated levels of plasma CRP and IL-6. Importantly, in PASC participants the frequency of TNF-α-producing SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which exhibited the highest levels of Ki67 indicating they were activity dividing, correlated positively with plasma IL-6 and negatively with measures of lung function, including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), while increased frequencies of IFN-γ-producing SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associated with prolonged dyspnea. Statistical analyses stratified by age, number of comorbidities and hospitalization status demonstrated that none of these factors affect differences in the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 T cells and plasma IL-6 levels measured between PASC and RC cohorts. Taken together, these findings demonstrate elevated frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in individuals with pulmonary PASC are associated with increased systemic inflammation and decreased lung function, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells contribute to lingering pulmonary symptoms. These findings also provide mechanistic insight on the pathophysiology of PASC that can inform development of potential treatments to reduce symptom burden.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.