No reduced serum serotonin levels in patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

IF 5.4 2区医学 Q1 INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Infection Pub Date : 2024-10-02 DOI:10.1007/s15010-024-02397-5

Philipp Mathé, Veronika Götz, Katarina Stete, Dietrich Walzer, Hanna Hilger, Stefanie Pfau, Maike Hofmann, Siegbert Rieg, Winfried V Kern

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose: Approximately 10-20% of patients previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), presenting with fatigue and neurocognitive dysfunction along various other symptoms. Recent studies suggested a possible role of a virally induced decrease in peripheral serotonin concentration in the pathogenesis of PASC. We set out to verify this finding in an independent and well-defined cohort of PASC patients from our post-COVID-19 outpatient clinic.

Methods: We performed a retrospective case-control study including 34 confirmed PASC patients and 14 healthy controls. Clinical assessment encompassed physician examination as well as questionnaire based evaluation. Eligibility required ongoing symptoms for at least 6 months post-PCR-confirmed infection, relevant fatigue (CFS ≥ 4), and no other medical conditions. Serum serotonin was determined by LC-MS/MS technique.

Results: Serum serotonin levels in PASC patients did not significantly differ from healthy controls. Most subjects had normal serotonin levels, with no subnormal readings. Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in serotonin levels based according to predominant fatigue type, high overall fatigue score or depression severity.

Conclusion: We postulate that peripheral serotonin is no reliable biomarker for PASC and that it should not be used in routine diagnostic. Therapy of PASC with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors or tryptophane supplementation should not be based solely on the assumption of lowered serotonin levels.

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COVID-19 急性后遗症患者的血清羟色胺水平没有降低。

目的：约有 10-20% 曾经感染过 SARS-CoV-2 的患者会出现 COVID-19 急性后遗症（PASC），表现为疲劳和神经认知功能障碍以及其他各种症状。最近的研究表明，病毒引起的外周血清素浓度下降可能是 PASC 的发病机制。我们试图在 COVID-19 后门诊中一个独立且定义明确的 PASC 患者群中验证这一发现：我们进行了一项回顾性病例对照研究，其中包括 34 名确诊的 PASC 患者和 14 名健康对照者。临床评估包括医生检查和问卷评估。符合条件的患者必须在 PCR 确诊感染后至少 6 个月内持续出现症状，有相关的疲劳症状（CFS ≥ 4），且无其他疾病。血清血清素采用 LC-MS/MS 技术进行测定：结果：PASC 患者血清中的血清素水平与健康对照组无明显差异。大多数受试者的血清素水平正常，没有低于正常的读数。分组分析表明，根据主要疲劳类型、总体疲劳评分高或抑郁严重程度，血清素水平没有明显差异：我们认为，外周血清素不是 PASC 的可靠生物标志物，因此不应将其用于常规诊断。使用血清素再摄取抑制剂或色氨酸补充剂治疗 PASC 时，不应仅假定血清素水平降低。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Infection 医学-传染病学

CiteScore

12.50

自引率

1.30%

发文量

224

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Infection is a journal dedicated to serving as a global forum for the presentation and discussion of clinically relevant information on infectious diseases. Its primary goal is to engage readers and contributors from various regions around the world in the exchange of knowledge about the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases, both in outpatient and inpatient settings. The journal covers a wide range of topics, including: Etiology: The study of the causes of infectious diseases. Pathogenesis: The process by which an infectious agent causes disease. Diagnosis: The methods and techniques used to identify infectious diseases. Treatment: The medical interventions and strategies employed to treat infectious diseases. Public Health: Issues of local, regional, or international significance related to infectious diseases, including prevention, control, and management strategies. Hospital Epidemiology: The study of the spread of infectious diseases within healthcare settings and the measures to prevent nosocomial infections. In addition to these, Infection also includes a specialized "Images" section, which focuses on high-quality visual content, such as images, photographs, and microscopic slides, accompanied by brief abstracts. This section is designed to highlight the clinical and diagnostic value of visual aids in the field of infectious diseases, as many conditions present with characteristic clinical signs that can be diagnosed through inspection, and imaging and microscopy are crucial for accurate diagnosis. The journal's comprehensive approach ensures that it remains a valuable resource for healthcare professionals and researchers in the field of infectious diseases.