Integrated immune, hormonal, and transcriptomic profiling reveals sex-specific dysregulation in long COVID patients with ME/CFS.

ABSTRACT: Long COVID (LC) manifests with sex-specific differences, particularly in those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Our study reveals that female LC patients (LCF) with ME/CFS show a shift toward myelopoiesis, reduced lymphocytes, increased neutrophils/monocytes, and depleted regulatory T cells-suggesting persistent immune activation. Elevated CD71⁺ erythroid cells and disrupted erythropoiesis contribute to fatigue and tissue damage in LCF. Cytokine profiling indicates a stronger pro-inflammatory response in LCF compared to males (LCM), along with markers of gut barrier dysfunction. Hormonal analysis shows reduced testosterone in LCF and estradiol in LCM. Transcriptomic data reveal neuroinflammatory signatures in LCF, potentially explaining cognitive

SUBMITTER: Shahbaz S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12711683 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature