Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents
SARS-CoV-2 infection causes transient cardiorespiratory and neurological disorders, and severe acute illness is rare among children. Post COVID-19 condition (PCC) may cause profound, persistent phenotypes with increasing prevalence. Its manifestation and risk factors remain elusive. In this monocent...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/10/1598 |
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| author | Robert Walter Körner Ole Yannick Bansemir Rosa Franke Julius Sturm Hormos Salimi Dafsari |
| author_facet | Robert Walter Körner Ole Yannick Bansemir Rosa Franke Julius Sturm Hormos Salimi Dafsari |
| author_sort | Robert Walter Körner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | SARS-CoV-2 infection causes transient cardiorespiratory and neurological disorders, and severe acute illness is rare among children. Post COVID-19 condition (PCC) may cause profound, persistent phenotypes with increasing prevalence. Its manifestation and risk factors remain elusive. In this monocentric study, we hypothesized that atopy, the tendency to produce an exaggerated immunoglobulin E (IgE) immune response, is a risk factor for the manifestation of pediatric PCC. We present a patient cohort (n = 28) from an early pandemic period (2021–2022) with comprehensive evaluations of phenotypes, pulmonary function, and molecular investigations. PCC predominantly affected adolescents and presented with fatigue, dyspnea, and post-exertional malaise. Sensitizations to aeroallergens were found in 93% of cases. We observed elevated IgE levels (mean 174.2 kU/L, reference < 100 kU/L) regardless of disease severity. Concurrent Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) was found in 29% of patients that also faced challenges in school attendance. ME/CFS manifestation was significantly associated with elevated immunoglobulin G subclasses IgG3 (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and IgG4 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A total of 57% of patients showed self-limiting disease courses with mean recovery at 12.7 months (range 5–25 months), 29% at 19.2 months (range 12–30 months), and the rest demonstrated overall improvement. These findings offer additional insights into immune dysregulation as a risk factor for pediatric PCC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:20:54Z |
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| id | doaj.art-a7289f9a89a34fe68a0bf99257664f06 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:20:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-a7289f9a89a34fe68a0bf99257664f062023-11-19T16:04:21ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672023-09-011010159810.3390/children10101598Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and AdolescentsRobert Walter Körner0Ole Yannick Bansemir1Rosa Franke2Julius Sturm3Hormos Salimi Dafsari4Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, GermanySARS-CoV-2 infection causes transient cardiorespiratory and neurological disorders, and severe acute illness is rare among children. Post COVID-19 condition (PCC) may cause profound, persistent phenotypes with increasing prevalence. Its manifestation and risk factors remain elusive. In this monocentric study, we hypothesized that atopy, the tendency to produce an exaggerated immunoglobulin E (IgE) immune response, is a risk factor for the manifestation of pediatric PCC. We present a patient cohort (n = 28) from an early pandemic period (2021–2022) with comprehensive evaluations of phenotypes, pulmonary function, and molecular investigations. PCC predominantly affected adolescents and presented with fatigue, dyspnea, and post-exertional malaise. Sensitizations to aeroallergens were found in 93% of cases. We observed elevated IgE levels (mean 174.2 kU/L, reference < 100 kU/L) regardless of disease severity. Concurrent Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) was found in 29% of patients that also faced challenges in school attendance. ME/CFS manifestation was significantly associated with elevated immunoglobulin G subclasses IgG3 (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and IgG4 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A total of 57% of patients showed self-limiting disease courses with mean recovery at 12.7 months (range 5–25 months), 29% at 19.2 months (range 12–30 months), and the rest demonstrated overall improvement. These findings offer additional insights into immune dysregulation as a risk factor for pediatric PCC.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/10/1598post COVID-19 conditionatopic diseaselong COVIDchildrenadolescentsSARS-CoV-2 |
| spellingShingle | Robert Walter Körner Ole Yannick Bansemir Rosa Franke Julius Sturm Hormos Salimi Dafsari Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents Children post COVID-19 condition atopic disease long COVID children adolescents SARS-CoV-2 |
| title | Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents |
| title_full | Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents |
| title_short | Atopy and Elevation of IgE, IgG3, and IgG4 May Be Risk Factors for Post COVID-19 Condition in Children and Adolescents |
| title_sort | atopy and elevation of ige igg3 and igg4 may be risk factors for post covid 19 condition in children and adolescents |
| topic | post COVID-19 condition atopic disease long COVID children adolescents SARS-CoV-2 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/10/1598 |
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