Individuals with an unhealthy gastrointestinal tract are more likely to develop post-COVID syndrome compared to those with a healthier gastrointestinal tract.
Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna have unveiled that people with post-COVID syndrome often have different inflammatory markers and a disturbed intestinal barrier.
As part of the trial, the team of academics assessed the course of SARS-CoV-2 infections and gastrointestinal symptoms before, during and after the infection.
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Additionally, they looked at stool, blood and saliva samples of people living with post-COVID syndrome.
They found that the people with pre-existing gastrointestinal complications were at greater risk of developing post-COVID syndrome fatigue.
People with post-COVID syndrome showed an increased LBP/sCD14 ratio and lower IL-33 levels, the findings have shown.
Lead author Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber said: “Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection can have long-term effects on the immune system and intestinal health that contribute to the development of post-COVID syndrome.”
By examining gastrointestinal symptoms and biomarkers, people at risk of post-COVID syndrome could be treated at an earlier stage.
Co-author Johanna Rohrhofer said: “What is particularly exciting is that our study participants were mostly young and healthy before the infection.
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“Even the COVID disease was mostly mild or even asymptomatic. One difference was the more frequently reported gastrointestinal complaints in the group that developed post-viral fatigue.”
Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber concluded: “The identification of predictive markers for post-COVID syndrome could enable personalised prevention and treatment in the future.”
Read the full study in the journal Allergy.
