A collaborative study between Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has identified potential biomarkers associated with long Covid, offering hope for improved diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
The study, published in the journal Cytokine, involved 175 participants who had previously contracted Covid. Researchers collected DNA and blood samples to measure levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its receptor (IL-6R), proteins produced by the immune system to combat infections. The DNA samples were analysed to determine the variant of the IL-6R gene, known as the IL-6R genotype, present in each participant.
IL-6 binds to IL-6R to initiate an immune response. Elevated levels of IL-6 have been implicated in various inflammatory conditions, and this study aimed to explore their association with long Covid symptoms.
The study found that individuals suffering from long Covid exhibited higher levels of IL-6 compared to those who had fully recovered. Additionally, participants with a specific IL-6R genotype, referred to as the “AA” genotype, appeared to have an increased risk of developing long Covid symptoms.
Dr Richard Webb, principal lecturer in biomedical sciences at Cardiff Metropolitan University, who led the study, stated: “While interpretation is complicated by seasonal variations, the findings from the study point towards possible future use of IL-6 and IL-6R genotype as biomarkers predictive of long Covid risk, which may bring advantages regarding the management and treatment of the illness.”
Craig Greenstock, 63, from Pontypridd, participated in the study. He was hospitalised in December 2020 with Covid pneumonitis and spent nine weeks in hospital, including time on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. Previously fit and healthy, Craig has since been diagnosed with long Covid and experiences fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, PTSD, and night terrors. He now requires daily asthma medication and has a lung nodule resulting from the infection.
Reflecting on his experience, Craig said: “I can safely say that when I was first admitted to hospital and what then developed was the scariest time of my life, both physically and mentally. I was extremely unwell for some time, with my family being given 24 hours for my condition to improve. My symptoms following the virus have been so significant it has resulted in me having to retire from work.”
Participants completed questionnaires about their long Covid symptoms at different times of the year to assess whether seasonal changes affected their condition. The study aimed to understand how IL-6-related factors contribute to long Covid risk and to explore their potential as predictive biomarkers.
Dr Ceri Lynch, consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine and critical care research lead at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, collaborated on the study. She commented: “This collaborative research between Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Cardiff Metropolitan University has shown some interesting and exciting findings with regard to the risk factors for developing long Covid. We would like to continue this work, with the ultimate aim of identifying an effective drug treatment for the condition.”
The research team plans to integrate their findings with the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID), a UK-wide initiative involving leading researchers and clinicians working to understand and improve long-term health outcomes for patients hospitalised with Covid.
Craig expressed hope for future treatments: “I was very fortunate to have a positive attitude to life and fairly healthy, so strong enough, physically and mentally, to be able to fight the virus and ongoing recovery. I would be prepared to try any medicine that could improve my standard of life back to anywhere near where it was before I fell ill.”
