Severe Fatigue and Memory Impairment Are Associated with Lower Serum Level of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Patients with Post-COVID Symptoms

Molnar, Tihamer; Varnai, Reka; Schranz, Daniel; Zavori, Laszlo; Peterfi, Zoltan; Sipos, David; Tőkés-Füzesi, Margit; Illes, Zsolt; Buki, Andras; Csecsei, Peter

doi:10.3390/jcm10194337

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Severe Fatigue and Memory Impairment Are Associated with Lower Serum Level of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Patients with Post-COVID Symptoms

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Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, University of Pecs, Medical School, H7632 Pecs, Hungary

Department of Primary Health Care, University of Pecs, Medical School, H7632 Pecs, Hungary

Department of Neurology, University of Pecs, Medical School, H7632 Pecs, Hungary

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Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury SP2 8BJ, UK

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1st Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectology, University of Pecs, Medical School, H7632 Pecs, Hungary

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Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Pecs, Medical School, H7632 Pecs, Hungary

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Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark

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Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pecs, Medical School, H7632 Pecs, Hungary

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editor: Vito Racanelli

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(19), 4337; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10194337

Received: 9 August 2021 / Revised: 17 September 2021 / Accepted: 21 September 2021 / Published: 23 September 2021

(This article belongs to the Collection Coronavirus Disease 2019: Clinical Presentation, Pathogenesis and Treatment)

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Abstract

Background: Post-COVID manifestation is defined as persistent symptoms or long-term complications beyond 4 weeks from disease onset. Fatigue and memory impairment are common post-COVID symptoms. We aimed to explore associations between the timeline and severity of post-COVID fatigue and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Methods: Fatigue and memory impairment were assessed in a total of 101 post-COVID subjects using the Chalder fatigue scale (CFQ-11) and a visual analogue scale. Using the bimodal scoring system generated from CFQ-11, a score ≥4 was defined as severe fatigue. Serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (anti-S-Ig) and nucleocapsid (anti-NC-Ig) antibodies were examined at two time points: 4–12 weeks after onset of symptoms, and beyond 12 weeks. Results: The serum level of anti-S-Ig was significantly higher in patients with non-severe fatigue compared to those with severe fatigue at 4–12 weeks (p = 0.006) and beyond 12 weeks (p = 0.016). The serum level of anti-NC-Ig remained high in patients with non-severe fatigue at both time points. In contrast, anti-NC-Ig decreased significantly in severe fatigue cases regardless of the elapsed time (4–12 weeks: p = 0.024; beyond 12 weeks: p = 0.005). The incidence of memory impairment was significantly correlated with lower anti-S-Ig levels (−0.359, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The systemic immune response reflected by antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is strongly correlated with the severity of post-COVID fatigue. View Full-Text

Keywords: post-COVID fatigue; anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike Ig; anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid Ig; memory impairment

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MDPI and ACS Style

Molnar, T.; Varnai, R.; Schranz, D.; Zavori, L.; Peterfi, Z.; Sipos, D.; Tőkés-Füzesi, M.; Illes, Z.; Buki, A.; Csecsei, P. Severe Fatigue and Memory Impairment Are Associated with Lower Serum Level of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Patients with Post-COVID Symptoms. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 4337. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10194337

AMA Style

Molnar T, Varnai R, Schranz D, Zavori L, Peterfi Z, Sipos D, Tőkés-Füzesi M, Illes Z, Buki A, Csecsei P. Severe Fatigue and Memory Impairment Are Associated with Lower Serum Level of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Patients with Post-COVID Symptoms. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2021; 10(19):4337. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10194337

Chicago/Turabian Style

Molnar, Tihamer, Reka Varnai, Daniel Schranz, Laszlo Zavori, Zoltan Peterfi, David Sipos, Margit Tőkés-Füzesi, Zsolt Illes, Andras Buki, and Peter Csecsei. 2021. "Severe Fatigue and Memory Impairment Are Associated with Lower Serum Level of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Patients with Post-COVID Symptoms" Journal of Clinical Medicine 10, no. 19: 4337. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10194337

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Severe Fatigue and Memory Impairment Are Associated with Lower Serum Level of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Patients with Post-COVID Symptoms

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