Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41878441›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026

Dysregulated NK-cell gene expression defines the enduring symptoms of long COVID-19.

Urvi Ray, Antje Schulze Selting, Roshan Priyarangana Perera, Zhiqi Yang, Vladislav Lysenkov, Siri Göpel, Michael Bitzer, Madhuri S Salker, Stephan Ossowski, Olaf Riess and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

12 authors.

Urvi RayInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Antje Schulze SeltingInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Roshan Priyarangana PereraInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Zhiqi YangResearch Institute of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Vladislav LysenkovInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Siri GöpelDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Michael BitzerDepartment of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Madhuri S SalkerResearch Institute of Women's Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Stephan OssowskiInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Olaf RiessInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Nicolas CasadeiInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Yogesh SinghInstitute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Long-term COVID-19 syndrome (LTCS) or "long COVID" is a debilitating post-viral condition affecting approximately 2%-8% of individuals after SARS-CoV-2 infection. It manifests typically ≥3 months post-infection with symptoms persisting for at least 2 months, including fatigue, pulmonary dysfunction, and cognitive impairment, in the absence of alternative diagnoses. The biological mechanisms underlying LTCS remain poorly defined, yet emerging evidence implicates immune dysregulation. Methods: We profiled plasma antibodies and cytokines from healthy controls (HC, Results: LTCS patients exhibited elevated anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (spike S1/RBD/N) titers compared with HC, but displayed significantly reduced systemic cytokine levels, including IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10. Flow cytometry revealed marked depletion of CD56 Discussion: LTCS is characterized by systemic cytokine attenuation and a quantitative and functional NK-cell deficit coupled to neurosensory pathway suppression. These findings identify NK cells as key sentinels of LTCS pathophysiology and highlight an NK-centric neuroimmune axis as a promising target for biomarker discovery and therapeutic intervention.

Indexed as

COVID-19Killer Cells, NaturalSARS-CoV-2AdultAgedAntibodies, ViralCytokinesFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression RegulationHumansMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeAntibodies, ViralCytokinescytokineslong COVIDLTCSNK cellsPBMCsscRNA-seq

Identifiers

PMID41878441
PMCPMC13006230

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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.