Long COVID is associated with female sex; Anti-NCAM1 autoantibodies are absent in patients with long COVID.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Long COVID is a condition that may arise following SARS-CoV-2 infection and is associated with a range of systemic complications. Autoantibodies are implicated in the pathogenesis of long COVID. However, the details of the pathogenic mechanisms undergone by these autoantibodies remain unclear. Neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) is the human protein with the highest sequence homology to the SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Previous in silico studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection may induce the production of anti-NCAM1 autoantibodies. Thus, this study investigated the presence of anti-NCAM1 autoantibodies in individuals affected by COVID-19, including those with long COVID.

Methods

Serum samples were obtained from 173 individuals 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. A

SUBMITTER: Motokawa Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12275955 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature