Hormonal, metabolic and metabolomic biomarkers in long COVID

Long COVID (LC), a complex syndrome affecting approximately 6-12 % of individuals post infection, is characterized by persistent, fluctuating, or progressive symptoms lasting at least three months. Its pathogenic mechanisms involve viral persistence, chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, endothelial dysfunction, and endocrine/metabolic abnormalities. Currently, no specific diagnostic tests exist for LC, highlighting the need for reliable biomarkers. This review synthesizes current evidence on hormonal, metabolic, and metabolite biomarkers in LC. While vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in LC, being associated with neurocognitive symptoms, delayed recovery and poor physical performance, particularly in older adults, its lack of specificity reduces diagnostic utility. Insulin resistance markers consistently correlate with fatigue, mood disturbances, and myalgia, suggesting a distinct metabolic LC phenotype. Lower cortisol frequently correlates with fatigue, sensory disturbances, and neurocognitive symptoms. Alterations in cortisol/adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone, prolactin, and gonadotropins suggest a potential hypothalamic-pituitary axis involvement; however, these abnormalities are often transient, dynamic or nonsignificant. While some patients may exhibit low free triiodothyronine associated with fatigue, no significant incidence of thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity was associated with LC. Despite the absence of a distinct and consistent metabolomic signature, LC is characterized by the activation of the kynurenine pathway, including increased kynurenine and quinolinic acid, being associated with fatigue, neurocognitive and depressive symptoms. Emerging metabolites of mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid metabolism alterations require further validation. Despite promising findings, evidence remains scattered, hindered by small sample sizes and methodological limitations. Future research should prioritize standardization of biomarker assessment, validation in diverse populations, and exploration of targeted therapeutic interventions.