Targeting the High-Density Lipoprotein Proteome for the Treatment of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2
www.mdpi.com
Here, we target the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) proteome in a case series of 16 patients with post-COVID-19 symptoms treated with HMG-Co-A reductase inhibitors (statin) plus angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) for 6 weeks. Patients suffering from persistent symptoms (post-acute sequelae) after serologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (post-COVID-19 syndrome, PCS, n = 8) or following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (PVS, n = 8) were included. Asymptomatic subjects with corresponding serological findings served as healthy controls (n = 8/8). HDL was isolated using dextran sulfate precipitation and the HDL proteome of all study participants was analyzed quantitatively by mass spectrometry. Clinical symptoms were assessed using questionnaires before and after therapy. The inflammatory potential of the patients’ HDL proteome was addressed in human endothelial cells. The HDL proteome of patients with PCS and PVS showed no significant differences; however, compared to controls, the HDL from PVS/PCS patients displayed significant alterations involving hemoglobin, cytoskeletal proteins (MYL6, TLN1, PARVB, TPM4, FLNA), and amyloid precursor protein. Gene Ontology Biological Process (GOBP) enrichment analysis identified hemostasis, peptidase, and lipoprotein regulation pathways to be involved. Treatment of PVS/PCS patients with statins plus ARBs improved the patients’ clinical symptoms. After therapy, three proteins were significantly increased (FAM3C, AT6AP2, ADAM10; FDR < 0.05) in the HDL proteome from patients with PVS/PCS. Exposure of human endothelial cells with the HDL proteome from treated PVS/PCS patients revealed reduced inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecule expression. Thus, HDL proteome analysis from PVS/PCS patients enables a deeper insight into the underlying disease mechanisms, pointing to significant involvement in metabolic and signaling disturbances. Treatment with statins plus ARBs improved clinical symptoms and reduced the inflammatory potential of the HDL proteome. These observations may guide future therapeutic strategies for PVS/PCS patients.
  • protistEnglish
    4·
    5 months ago

    Interviewer: What symptoms did the study participants have? There is a whole range of symptoms that can be attributed to post-Covid or post-vaccine.

    Schieffer: The question of symptoms is a very critical one. We selected the patients very carefully. We assigned the symptoms of our many patients to certain clusters using an AI-based mathematical algorithm. Based on this, we selected the patients and assigned them to this therapy.

    Schieffer: The group we examined here had developed an infection-related lipid metabolism disorder; this is the largest group of patients.

    I have a lot of reasons to be skeptical of this study based on this interview. Either way, cholesterol and blood-pressure lowering meds are cheap, safe, and widely available, literally any doctor can prescribe those for you right now.

  • Kornblumenratte@feddit.deEnglish
    2·
    5 months ago

    I don’t know where this claim of 90 % reduction in symptoms originated – the figures show an improvement of e.g. Bell 60 => Bell 80 for the Post Covid group, the other scales are similar. I’m not able to analyze all of the data at the moment, but at second glance this seems to be an effective treatment, changing the scores ~ 15–30 %. Far from 90 %. And the effect might be exclusive to Covid related problems.

    Edit:

    Bei bis zu 90 Prozent der Betroffenen milderten sich die Symptome wie Müdigkeit, Schwindel, Schlafstörungen oder Herzrasen ab oder verschwanden sogar ganz.

    The responder rate was 90 %, not the reduction of symptoms.