ArticleImmunity, inflammation and disease2023
Examining the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers during COVID-19 hospitalization and subsequent long-COVID symptoms: A longitudinal and retrospective study.
Article in Immunity, inflammation and disease, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Psychological and Cognitive Sequelae of COVID-19: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing · 2026Pooled it
- Symptom Trajectories and Clinical Subtypes in Post-COVID-19 Condition: Systematic Review and Clustering Analysis.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2025Pooled it
- Musculoskeletal manifestations in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Symptom Trajectories and Long-Term Sequelae of COVID-19: A Matched Case-Control Study with Population-Based Controls.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Subclinical patterns of cardiac involvement by transthoracic echocardiography in individuals with mild initial COVID-19.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Observational
- Post-COVID-19 Pain Is Not Associated with DNA Methylation Levels of theBiomedicines · 2024Article
- Exploring the Complexities of Long COVID.Viruses · 2024Review
- Examining the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers during COVID-19 hospitalization and subsequent long-COVID symptoms: A longitudinal and retrospective study.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionLong-COVID is a heterogeneous condition with a litany of physical and neuropsychiatric presentations and its pathophysiology remains unclear. Little is known about the association between inflammatory biomarkers, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the acute phase, and persistent symptoms after hospitalization in COVID-19 patients.
methodsIL-6, CRP, troponin-T, and ferritin were analyzed at admission for all patients with COVID-19 between September 1, 2020 to January 10, 2021. Survivors were followed up 3-months following hospital discharge and were asked to report persistent symptoms they experienced. Admission data were retrospectively collected. Independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed.
resultsIn a sample of 144 patients (62.5% male, mean Age 62 years [SD = 13.6]) followed up 3 months after hospital discharge, the commonest symptoms reported were fatigue (54.2%), breathlessness (52.8%), and sleep disturbance (37.5%). In this sample, admission levels of IL-6, CRP and ferritin were elevated. However, those reporting myalgia, low mood, and anxiety at follow-up had lower admission levels of IL-6 (34.9 vs. 52.0 pg/mL, p = .043), CRP (83 vs. 105 mg/L, p = .048), and ferritin (357 vs. 568 ug/L, p = .01) respectively, compared with those who did not report these symptoms. Multivariate regression analysis showed that these associations were confounded by gender, as female patients had significantly lower levels of IL-6 and ferritin on admission (29.5 vs. 56.1, p = .03 and 421.5 vs. 589, p = .001, respectively) and were more likely to report myalgia, low mood and anxiety, when compared to males.
conclusionsOur data demonstrate that female patients present more often with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers on admission which are subsequently associated with long-term post-COVID symptoms, such as myalgia and anxiety, in those discharged from hospital with severe COVID-19. Further research is needed into the role of serum biomarkers in post-COVID prognostication.
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