Blood Analysis Finds Heart Damage Linked to Inflammation in Long COVID
"We found elevated cytokine levels—proteins that regulate inflammation—in blood samples from individuals about 18 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection," Dr. Short said.
"Lab tests demonstrated that even trace amounts of these cytokines had a direct impact on cardiomyocytes, the heart cells responsible for its pumping function."
According to Dr. Short, the role of chronic inflammation in prolonged cardiovascular symptoms was previously unclear, particularly in people with symptoms persisting beyond a year post-infection.
Published in Nature Microbiology, the study analyzed blood samples from 50 participants in Australia, including those with long COVID lasting over a year, people who had recovered from COVID, and individuals never infected with the virus.
The research team utilized "immuno-storm chip" nanotechnology, created at UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), to detect trace cytokine levels and cardiac tissue damage markers at single-molecule resolution in long COVID patients.
"It's still early days, and these findings need validation in additional patient groups, particularly those infected with newer SARS-CoV-2 variants," Dr. Short said.
"We’re also interested in exploring whether our results might apply to other long COVID symptoms, such as neurological or respiratory issues, since this study specifically focused on patients with chest pain and/or heart palpitations."
"Despite these limitations, this work sheds new light on the complexity of long COVID and could pave the way for improved diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of the condition."
This research was led by UQ Ph.D. candidates Jane Sinclair from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB), Courtney Vedelago from AIBN, and Dr. Feargal J. Ryan from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.
The study was a collaborative effort involving UQ's SCMB, School of Mathematics and Physics, AIBN, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Medicine, along with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, the Australian National University, Mater Health Queensland, Mater Research Institute—UQ, and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.
Research samples were provided by the COVID OZGenetics study, Central Adelaide Health Network, and the David Serisier Research Biobank at Mater Research.
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