Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40330487›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Serum angiotensin type-1 receptor autoantibodies and neurofilament light chain as markers of neuroaxonal damage in post-COVID patients.

Ana I Rodriguez-Perez, Gemma Serrano-Heras, Carmen M Labandeira, Laura Camacho-Meño, Beatriz Castro-Robles, Juan A Suarez-Quintanilla, Mónica Muñoz-López, Pepa Piqueras-Landete, María J Guerra, Tomas Segura and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ana I Rodriguez-Perez *Research Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Gemma Serrano-Heras *Research Unit, General University Hospital of Albacete, Albacete, Spain.
Carmen M LabandeiraNeurology Service, University Hospital of Ourense, Ourense, Spain.
Laura Camacho-MeñoResearch Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Beatriz Castro-RoblesResearch Unit, General University Hospital of Albacete, Albacete, Spain.
Juan A Suarez-QuintanillaResearch Health Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Mónica Muñoz-LópezFaculty of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Albacete, Spain.
Pepa Piqueras-LandeteDepartment of Neurology, General University Hospital of Albacete, Albacete, Spain.
María J GuerraResearch Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Tomas SeguraFaculty of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Albacete, Spain.
José L Labandeira-GarciaResearch Center for Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Dysregulation of autoimmune responses and the presence of autoantibodies (AA), particularly those related to the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), have been implicated in the acute phase of COVID-19, and persistent dysregulation of brain RAS by RAS-related autoantibodies may also contribute to neurological symptoms of post-COVID. Methods: We analyzed levels of serum and CSF RAS AA in post-COVID patients with neurological symptoms, individuals who have fully recovered from COVID-19 (after-COVID controls), and uninfected individuals, and their possible correlations with the serum marker of neuroaxonal damage neurofilament light chain (NfL) and the degrees of cognitive deficit. Results: Both in serum and CSF, levels of AA agonists of the pro-inflammatory angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1-AA) were significantly elevated in this cohort of neurological post-COVID patients compared to both uninfected and after-COVID controls and correlated with serum levels of NfL. Changes in serum and CSF levels of AA promoting the RAS anti-inflammatory axis (upregulation of AA agonists of AT2 and Mas receptors, downregulation of AA antagonists of ACE2) suggest upregulation of the RAS compensatory response in this cohort of neurological post-COVID patients. Post-COVID patients with more pronounced cognitive impairment exhibited significantly higher CSF levels of MasR-AA and a trend toward elevated AT2-AA. Persistent brain RAS dysregulation, particularly persistent increase in AT1-AA, and its correlation with neuroaxonal damage markers and cognitive impairment, may play a significant role in neurological symptoms associated with post-COVID. Serum levels of NfL and AT1-AA may be interesting biomarkers for the early identification of CNS involvement in patients with neurological symptoms and a history of COVID-19. However, post-COVID is a highly heterogeneous entity and may result from various underlying mechanisms. The present study includes a cohort, which may differ from other cohorts with different clinical profiles, which may show different results on NfLs and CSF RAS autoantibodies, particularly AT1-AA. Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential of targeting AT1 receptors as a therapeutic strategy for mitigating cognitive deficits in post-COVID patients showing upregulated AT1-AA levels.

Indexed as

AutoantibodiesCOVID-19Neurofilament ProteinsReceptor, Angiotensin, Type 1SARS-CoV-2AdultAgedBiomarkersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRenin-Angiotensin SystemAutoantibodiesBiomarkersneurofilament protein LNeurofilament ProteinsReceptor, Angiotensin, Type 1AT1autoantibodyautoimmunitybiomarkerscognitive impairmentCOVID-19neurological long-COVIDpost-acute sequelae of COVID-19 syndrome

Identifiers

PMID40330487
PMCPMC12052551

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.