Scientists Link Immune Cell Malfunction to Long COVID Symptoms
Groundbreaking research from The University of Manchester reveals, for the first time, that faulty immune cells are tied to Long COVID. Specifically, monocytes—immune cells produced in bone marrow—normally journey through the bloodstream to lungs to fight off viruses. But in Long COVID patients, these cells behave abnormally, causing common symptoms like breathlessness and fatigue.
The Study Uncovers Distinct Immune Signatures
Published today in the European Respiratory Journal, the study tracked 213 COVID patients from July 2020 to January 2021. This group included 71 hospitalised with acute COVID and 142 seen months later in outpatient clinics across Manchester.
Researchers analysed blood samples to examine monocyte migration patterns and their changes up to nine months post-infection. Patients were split into mild, moderate, and severe categories based on oxygen needs, with intensive care and ventilation cases labelled severe.
By combining medical data with detailed symptom questionnaires, scientists identified unique monocyte behaviour linked to shortness of breath and lingering lung damage, separate from fatigue-related profiles or those without symptoms.
Who Funded This Vital Research?
- Wellcome Trust
- Royal Society
- Medical Research Council
- The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research
- The Lister Institute
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- UK Research and Innovation
Experts Highlight the Fight to Understand Long COVID
“Long COVID remains a global public health crisis despite vaccines and milder variants,” said Dr Elizabeth Mann from the University of Manchester’s Lydia Becker Institute.
“Symptoms like extreme fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and lung disease can persist for months or even years after infection.
“Treatment options are scarce because we lack a solid grasp of the immune system’s role. Our findings linking monocyte dysfunction to specific symptoms could lead to targeted therapies.”
