A number of patients with postviral syndrome after suspected COVID-19 have immune responses to SARS-CoV-2<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Some patients with postviral syndrome (PVS) after suspected COVID-19 have detectable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, according to a study published online Aug. 23 in Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation<\/em>.<\/p>\n Zachary S. Orban, from Northwestern University in Chicago, and colleagues measured SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against Nucleocapsid and Spike proteins in 29 patients with PVS after suspected COVID-19, 32 confirmed age- and sex-matched patients with neurologic manifestations similar to those with postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Neuro-PASC), and 18 unexposed, healthy controls.<\/p>\n The researchers found that 41 percent of the patients with PVS had detectable humoral or cellular immune responses consistent with prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Overall, 75 and 50 percent of the 12 PVS responders harbored anti-Nucleocapsid and anti-Spike responses, respectively. PVS responders had similar neurologic symptoms as those with Neuro-PASC, but clinic evaluation occurred later from the time of symptom onset (10.7 versus 5.4 months). Similar subjective impairments in quality-of-life measures were seen for PVS responders and patients with Neuro-PASC, including cognitive function and fatigue. Compared with patients with Neuro-PASC, PVS responders had similar results in objective cognitive measures of processing speed, attention, and executive function and better results in working memory.<\/p>\n “Millions of Americans with postviral syndrome may have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 at the beginning of the pandemic, and they deserve the same access to care and inclusion in research studies as people with a confirmed COVID diagnosis,” senior author Igor J. Koralnik, M.D., from Northwestern University, said in a statement.<\/p>\n