Large-scale phenotyping of patients with long COVID post-hospitalization reveals mechanistic subtypes of disease

One in ten severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections result in prolonged symptoms termed long coronavirus disease (COVID), yet disease phenotypes and mechanisms are poorly understood1. Here we profiled 368 plasma proteins in 657 participants ≥3 months following hospitalization. Of these, 426 had at least one long COVID symptom and 233 had fully recovered. Elevated markers of myeloid inflammation and complement activation were associated with long COVID. IL-1R2, MATN2 and COLEC12 were associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms, fatigue and anxiety/depression; MATN2, CSF3 and C1QA were elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms and C1QA was elevated in cognitive impairment. Additional markers of alterations in nerve tissue repair (SPON-1 and NFASC) were elevated in those with cognitive impairment and SCG3, suggestive of brain–gut axis disturbance, was elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) was persistently elevated in some individuals with long COVID, but virus was not detected in sputum. Analysis of inflammatory markers in nasal fluids showed no association with symptoms. Our study aimed to understand inflammatory processes that underlie long COVID and was not designed for biomarker discovery. Our findings suggest that specific inflammatory pathways related to tissue damage are implicated in subtypes of long COVID, which might be targeted in future therapeutic trials

SARS-CoV-2-specific nasal IgA wanes 9 months after hospitalisation with COVID-19 and is not induced by subsequent vaccination

BACKGROUND: Most studies of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 focus on circulating antibody, giving limited insights into mucosal defences that prevent viral replication and onward transmission. We studied nasal and plasma antibody responses one year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, including a period when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was introduced. METHODS: In this follow up study, plasma and nasosorption samples were prospectively collected from 446 adults hospitalised for COVID-19 between February 2020 and March 2021 via the ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. IgA and IgG responses to NP and S of ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta and Omicron (BA.1) variants were measured by electrochemiluminescence and compared with plasma neutralisation data. FINDINGS: Strong and consistent nasal anti-NP and anti-S IgA responses were demonstrated, which remained elevated for nine months (p < 0.0001). Nasal and plasma anti-S IgG remained elevated for at least 12 months (p < 0.0001) with plasma neutralising titres that were raised against all variants compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Of 323 with complete data, 307 were vaccinated between 6 and 12 months; coinciding with rises in nasal and plasma IgA and IgG anti-S titres for all SARS-CoV-2 variants, although the change in nasal IgA was minimal (1.46-fold change after 10 months, p = 0.011) and the median remained below the positive threshold determined by pre-pandemic controls. Samples 12 months after admission showed no association between nasal IgA and plasma IgG anti-S responses (R = 0.05, p = 0.18), indicating that nasal IgA responses are distinct from those in plasma and minimally boosted by vaccination. INTERPRETATION: The decline in nasal IgA responses 9 months after infection and minimal impact of subsequent vaccination may explain the lack of long-lasting nasal defence against reinfection and the limited effects of vaccination on transmission. These findings highlight the need to develop vaccines that enhance nasal immunity. FUNDING: This study has been supported by ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. ISARIC4C is supported by grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre provided infrastructure support for this research. The PHOSP-COVD study is jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute of Health and Care Research. The funders were not involved in the study design, interpretation of data or the writing of this manuscript

Atributos de solos hidromórficos no Pantanal Norte Matogrossense Attributes of the hydromorphic soils in the Pantanal of North Matogrosso

Os solos hidromórficos, comuns na Amazônia e no Pantanal, estão sujeitos à alternância natural de períodos de alagamento e secamento, que conduzem a uma formação e características diferenciadas. Estes solos guardam estreita relação com a natureza do material de origem e com os processos de deposição e sedimentação. O objetivo neste trabalho foi avaliar as características químicas, morfológicas e mineralógicas de três perfis de solos do Pantanal Norte Matogrossense (Planossolo, Plintossolo e Gleissolo), a fim de interpretar as relações entre suas propriedades e o ambiente em que foram formados. Os Planossolos e Gleissolos possuem maior fertilidade natural, evidenciada pelos valores expressivos de CTC (capacidade de troca de cátions) e saturação por bases. Os menores teores de Fe2O3 do Planossolo estão relacionados com a redução e remoção do Fe durante sua gênese A mineralogia da fração areia dos solos é constituída principalmente de quartzo, nódulos e concreções de Fe e de Mn, e em menor grau, biotita, muscovita e traços de turmalina, magnetita, ilmenita, epídoto, zircão e rutilo. Os solos apresentaram perfil mineralógico semelhante na fração argila, constituído por caulinita, esmectita, ilita e interestratificados do tipo ilita-esmectita. A mineralogia da fração argila dos solos foi compatível com as diferenças químicas constatadas entre eles, pois o Planossolo apresentou argila de maior atividade relativa às esmectitas e interestratificados ilita/esmectita, com maior soma de bases trocáveis e CTC, enquanto o Plintossolo e o Gleissolo, cujo mineral predominante foi a caulinita, apresentaram baixo teor de bases trocáveis e menor CTC.<br>The hydromorphic soils, common in the Amazon and the Pantanal, are subject to alternating periods of natural flooding and drying, leading to formation and differentiated characteristics. These soils are closely related to the nature of the sediments, a consequence of the source material and the processes of deposition and sedimentation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical, mineralogical, and morphological profiles of three soils in the North Brazilian Pantanal North (Solonetz, Plinthosol and Gleysol) in order to interpret the relations between their properties and the environment in which they were formed. The Solonetz and Gleysol have higher fertility, as evidenced by the significant values of CEC (cation exchange rate) and base saturation. The lowest levels of Fe2O3 in the Solonetz are related to the reduction and removal of Fe during its genesis. The mineralogy of sand fraction consists mainly of quartz, nodules and concretions of Fe and Mn and to a lesser extent, biotite, muscovite and traces of tourmaline, magnetite, ilmenite, epidote, zircon and rutile. The soil profile was similar in clay mineralogy, consisting of kaolinite, smectite, illite and interstratified illite-smectite type. The clay mineralogy of soils was consistent with the observed chemical differences between them, as the clay Planossolo showed greater activity on smectite and interstratified illite / smectite, with greater total exchangeable bases and CEC, while the Plinthosol and Gleysol, whose predominant mineral was kaolinite, showed a low content of exchangeable bases and lower CEC