ArticleBMC medicine2025
Exploring DNA methylation, telomere length, mitochondrial DNA, and immune function in patients with Long-COVID.
Article in BMC medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Long COVID and health-related quality of life: a systematic review of immune, inflammatory, and metabolic markers.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- From HIV to SARS-CoV-2 associated neurological disorder ("HAND" to "SAND"): Viral infection as a "time-bomb" for the aging brain.Neuroscience applied · 2026Review
- Gulf War Illness, Fibromyalgia, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long COVID Overlap in Common Symptoms and Underlying Biological Mechanisms: Implications for Future Therapeutic Strategies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Telomere length and COVID-19 disease severity: insights from hospitalized patients.Frontiers in aging · 2025Article
- Pathogen-induced mitochondrial dysfunction: mechanistic insights, immune crosstalk, and therapeutic opportunities.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Review
- Gender-based differences in telomere attrition and long-term respiratory dysfunction in COVID-19 ICU survivors one year post-infection: implications for aging-associated pulmonary decline.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLong-COVID is defined as the persistency or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation. Common persistent symptoms are fatigue, sleep disturbances, post-exertional malaise (PEM), pain, and cognitive problems. Long-COVID is estimated to be present in about 65 million people. We aimed to explore clinical and biological factors that might contribute to Long-COVID.
methodsProspective longitudinal cohort study including patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and March 2022. Patients were assessed between 4 and 12 months after infection at the COVID follow-up clinic at UZ Leuven. We performed a comprehensive clinical assessment (including questionnaires and the 6-min walking test) and biological measures (global DNA methylation, telomere length, mitochondrial DNA copy number, inflammatory cytokines, and serological markers such as C-reactive protein, D-dimer, troponin T).
resultsOf the 358 participants, 328 were hospitalised, of which 130 had severe symptoms requiring intensive care admission; 30 patients were ambulatory referrals. Based on their clinical presentation, we could identify 6 main clusters. One-hundred and twenty-seven patients (35.4%) belonged to at least one cluster. The bigger cluster included PEM, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and pain (n = 57). Troponin T and telomere shortening were the two main markers predicting Long-COVID and PEM-fatigue symptoms.
conclusionsLong-COVID is not just one entity. Different clinical presentations can be identified. Cardiac involvement (as measured by troponin T levels) and telomere shortening might be a relevant risk factor for developing PEM-fatigue symptoms and deserve further exploring.
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