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Long COVID endotheliopathy: hypothesized mechanisms and potential therapeutic approaches
Jasimuddin Ahamed, Jeffrey Laurence
Jasimuddin Ahamed, Jeffrey Laurence
Published August 1, 2022
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2022;132(15):e161167. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI161167.
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Review Article has an altmetric score of 497

Long COVID endotheliopathy: hypothesized mechanisms and potential therapeutic approaches

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Abstract

SARS-CoV-2–infected individuals may suffer a multi–organ system disorder known as “long COVID” or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). There are no standard treatments, the pathophysiology is unknown, and incidence varies by clinical phenotype. Acute COVID-19 correlates with biomarkers of systemic inflammation, hypercoagulability, and comorbidities that are less prominent in PASC. Macrovessel thrombosis, a hallmark of acute COVID-19, is less frequent in PASC. Female sex at birth is associated with reduced risk for acute COVID-19 progression, but with increased risk of PASC. Persistent microvascular endotheliopathy associated with cryptic SARS-CoV-2 tissue reservoirs has been implicated in PASC pathology. Autoantibodies, localized inflammation, and reactivation of latent pathogens may also be involved, potentially leading to microvascular thrombosis, as documented in multiple PASC tissues. Diagnostic assays illuminating possible therapeutic targets are discussed.

Authors

Jasimuddin Ahamed, Jeffrey Laurence

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Figure 3

Proposed diagnostic assays and potential treatment targets in PASC.

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Proposed diagnostic assays and potential treatment targets in PASC.
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Abnormalities on lung CT and brain MRI have been correlated to functional changes, including dyspnea with air trapping and cognitive deficits, respectively, but they are not sensitive enough to distinguish an inflammatory versus a microthrombotic process. As PASC, like COVID-19, is a systemic process, we hypothesize that a simple 4 mm cutaneous punch biopsy of normal-appearing deltoid skin, a diagnostic method our group has employed for over a decade to investigate thrombotic microangiopathies linked to atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and, most recently, acute COVID-19, should permit pathophysiologic explorations of PASC. Direct biopsy of other accessible tissues, including lung and peripheral nerve, could also be pursued. This could enable collection of evidence for vascular damage, microthrombi, and direct SARS-CoV-2 infection. Viral signals in stool and peripheral blood and hematologic/immunologic abnormalities linked to PASC may also be followed longitudinally. It should be recognized that the possible treatments illustrated are based on pathophysiology hypotheses and have not been evaluated in clinical trials. IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; sTM, soluble thrombomodulin.

Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

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