Immunology of post-COVID syndrome

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Abstract

COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has diverse long-term consequences of varying severity after recovery from the acute phase. As survivorship and therefore the number of individuals with “long COVID” continue to increase, the prevalence, origins, and mechanisms of post-acute sequelae manifestation must be critically elucidated. The inappropriate and unique inflammatory response in the acute phase of COVID-19 causes severe respiratory symptoms, which can be subsequently accompanied by multiple-organ damage, affecting the brain, heart, kidneys, etc. This review examines the role of an unregulated antigen-specific immune response to COVID-19 in the onset and development of its consequences. We discuss the potential role of virus persistence in tissue reservoirs, unresolved inflammation, cytokine hyperproduction, tissue damage, and molecular mimicry and autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of post-COVID syndrome — the induction and maintenance of imbalanced immune responses after the resolution of acute COVID-19.

About the authors

Sergey G. Sсherbak

Saint-Petersburg City Hospital № 40 of Kurortny District; St Petersburg University

Email: b40@zdrav.spb.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5036-1259
SPIN-code: 1537-9822

MD, Dr. Sci. (Med.), professor

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint Petersburg

Andrey M. Sarana

St Petersburg University; Health Committee of Saint Petersburg

Email: asarana@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3198-8990
SPIN-code: 7922-2751

MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.), associate professor

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint Petersburg

Dmitry A. Vologzhanin

Saint-Petersburg City Hospital № 40 of Kurortny District; St Petersburg University

Email: volog@bk.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1176-794X
SPIN-code: 7922-7302

MD, Dr. Sci. (Med.)

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint Petersburg

Tatyana A. Kamilova

Saint-Petersburg City Hospital № 40 of Kurortny District

Email: kamilovaspb@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6360-132X
SPIN-code: 2922-4404

Cand. Sci. (Biol.)

Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg

Aleksandr S. Golota

Saint-Petersburg City Hospital № 40 of Kurortny District

Author for correspondence.
Email: golotaa@yahoo.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5632-3963
SPIN-code: 7234-7870

MD, Cand. Sci. (Med.), associate professor

Russian Federation, 9B, Borisova street, 197706, Sestroretsk, Saint Petersburg

Stanislav V. Makarenko

Saint-Petersburg City Hospital № 40 of Kurortny District; St Petersburg University

Email: st.makarenko@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1595-6668
SPIN-code: 8114-3984
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint Petersburg

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Copyright (c) 2023 Sсherbak S.G., Sarana A.M., Vologzhanin D.A., Kamilova T.A., Golota A.S., Makarenko S.V.

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