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Cellular Metabolic Signatures of Long COVID-19
Sujata Srikanth1,2, Diana Ivankovic2, Lucia Gonzales2
1Center for Innovative Medical Devices and Sensors (REDDI Lab), Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
Infectious Disease Reports
|June 25, 2026
Summary
Long COVID-19 patients exhibit unique metabolic profiles, with increased energy substrate utilization and reduced responses to growth factors. This reprogramming correlates with symptom severity, suggesting adaptive stress responses.
Area of Science:
- Cellular metabolism
- Immunology
- Infectious disease
Background:
- Long COVID-19 (LC-19), or Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS), is a chronic condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection with unknown etiology.
- Understanding LC-19's underlying mechanisms is crucial for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To profile and compare the metabolic activity of cells from normal individuals and LC-19 patients.
- To identify unique metabolic signatures associated with Long COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of lymphoblastoid cell lines from 10 LC-19 patients and 10 controls.
- Utilized Biolog Phenotype Mammalian Microarrays (PM-M1, PM-M6, PM-M7) to assess cellular metabolic activity.
- Saliva testing for opportunistic viruses like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6).
Main Results:
- LC-19 patients showed over two-fold enhanced utilization of glycolytic and anaerobic substrates.
- A reduced cellular response to growth factors and effectors was observed in LC-19 patients.
- Increased energy substrate utilization correlated with the number of LC-19 symptoms, indicating metabolic reprogramming.
Conclusions:
- A unique metabolic profile specific to LC-19 was identified.
- This profile suggests adaptive responses to cellular stress, dysfunction, and inflammation.
- The findings may aid in future LC-19 diagnosis and therapeutic target identification.
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