Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40475767›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Distinct proteomic signatures in Ethiopians predict acute and long-term sequelae of COVID-19.

Dawit Wolday, Abrha G Gebrehiwot, An Nguyen Le Minh, Muhammed Ahmed Rameto, Saro Abdella, Atsbeha Gebreegziabxier, Wondwossen Amogne, Tobias F Rinke de Wit, Messay Hailu, Getachew Tollera and 7 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Dawit WoldayDepartment of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Abrha G GebrehiwotDepartment of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
An Nguyen Le MinhDepartment of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Muhammed Ahmed RametoInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Saro AbdellaInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Atsbeha GebreegziabxierInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Wondwossen AmogneDepartment of Infectious Diseases, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Tobias F Rinke de WitAmsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Academic Medical Center - Amsterdam University, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Messay HailuInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Getachew TolleraInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Geremew TasewInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Masresha TessemaInfectious Diseases Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Matthew MillerDepartment of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Amy GillgrassMcMaster Immunology Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Dawn M E BowdishMcMaster Immunology Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Charu KaushicMcMaster Immunology Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Chris P VerschoorDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Little is known about the acute and long-term sequelae of COVID-19 and its pathophysiology in African patients, who are known to have a distinct immunological profile compared to Caucasian populations. Here, we established protein signatures to define severe outcomes of acute COVID-19 and determined whether unique protein signatures during the first week of acute illness predict the risk of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (Long COVID) in a low-income country (LIC) setting. Method: Using the Olink inflammatory panel, we measured the abundance of 92 proteins in the plasma of COVID-19 patients (n=55) and non-COVID-19 individuals (n=23). We investigated distinct inflammatory protein signatures in acute severe COVID-19 individuals (n=22) compared to asymptomatic or mild/moderate COVID-19 cases (n=33), and non-COVID-19 controls. Results: Levels of SLAMF1, CCL25, IL2RB, IL10RA, IL15RA, IL18 and CST5 were significantly upregulated in patients with critical COVID-19 illness compared to individuals negative for COVID-19. The cohort was followed for an average of 20 months, and 23 individuals developed Long COVID, based on the WHO's case definition, while 32 COVID-19 patients recovered fully. Whereas upregulated levels of SLAMF1, TNF, TSLP, IL15RA, IL18, ADA, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL17C, and NT3 at the acute phase of the illness were associated with increased Long COVID risk, upregulated TRANCE was associated with a reduced risk of developing Long COVID. Protein levels of SLAMF1, IL15RA, and IL18 associated with critical illness during the acute phase of COVID-19 also predicted Long COVID risk. Discussion: Patients with severe COVID-19 and Long COVID outcomes exhibited distinct proteomic signatures. Unravelling the pathophysiology of severe acute COVID-19 and Long COVID before its advent may contribute to designing novel interventions for diagnosing, treating, and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its associated acute and long-term consequences.

Indexed as

COVID-19ProteomeSARS-CoV-2AdultAgedBiomarkersEast African PeopleFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProteomicsBiomarkersProteomeAfricaCOVID-19criticalimmune activationinflammationlong Covidlow-income countrySARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40475767
PMCPMC12137110

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.