Blood clotting may contribute to long COVID pathogenesis: Study

In a breakthrough study, researchers from Ireland have me a striking discovery that links long COVID syndrome with high blood clotting factors. Patients with a history of blood clots have displayed persistent symptoms including breathlessness, fatigue and decreased exercise tolerance on developing acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, study reported.

study, published in Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis was conducted by a group of researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin, Ireland. Previously, group h also researched dangers of clotting in patients with severe COVID-19. current study was conducted on 50 patients, reviewed at a median of 68 days following SARS-CoV-2 infection. patients with convalescent COVID symptoms were studied to understand involvement of abnormal blood clotting in patients. "In dition to clinical workup, acute phase markers, EC activation and NETosis parameters and thrombin generation were assessed," report abstract ded.

Clot markers significantly elevated in blood of patients with long COVID

As per results, re was a considerable increase in clot markers in blood of patients with long COVID. "Thrombin generation assays revealed significantly shorter lag times (p<0.0001, 95% CI -2.57– -1.02min), increased endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) (p=0.04, 95% CI 15–416nM/min) and peak thrombin (p<0.0001, 95% CI 39–93nM) in convalescent COVID-19 patients," study mentioned. clot markers were at an alert level in patients who have required hospitalisation with ir initial COVID infections. ditionally, patients with acute COVID symptoms who were home-treated also displayed persistently higher Covid markers. se pro-thrombotic changes were independent of ongoing acute phase response or active NETosis, study mentioned.

"Our results suggest that clotting system may be involved in root cause of long COVID syndrome," Dr. Helen Fogarty

Collectively, findings demonstrated that sustained endoliopathy is common in convalescent COVID-19 and raise intriguing possibility that this may contribute to Long COVID pathogenesis. Explaining furr into research study elucidated relationship between inflammation and blood clot markers. Even though relationship between long COVID and clotting was directly proportional, markers of inflammation "h all returned to normal levels," study reported. "Because clotting markers were elevated while inflammation markers h returned to normal," said Dr. Helen Fogarty, study's le author, ICAT Fellow and Ph.D. student at Irish Centre for Vascular Biology in RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.

Long COVID has remained a cause of prolonged concern in medical community. "Millions of people are alrey dealing with symptoms of long COVID syndrome, and more people will develop long COVID as infections among unvaccinated continue to occur. It is imperative that we continue to study this condition and develop effective treatments." Dr. Fogarty ded.

discovery of root cause has marked first step towards solving problem, said Dublin-based consultant Haematologist Dr. James O'Donnell. "Understanding root cause of a disease is first step toward developing effective treatments," Professor James said. Professor James is Director of Irish Centre for Vascular Biology, RCSI and Consultant Haematologist in National Coagulation Centre in St James's Hospital, Dublin.

With inputs from @Thrombosis& Haemostasis

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