Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40450635›Full record

ArticleInfectious diseases and therapy2025

Gut Microbial Signatures in Long COVID: Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets.

Soyoung Oh, Sujin An, Kihyun Park, Soohyung Lee, Yoo Min Han, Seong-Joon Koh, Joowon Lee, Hyerin Gim, Donghyun Kim, Haesook Seo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infectious diseases and therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Microbiome and Long COVID-19: Current Evidence and Insights.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  5. Review
  6. 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

10 authors.

Soyoung Oh *Infectious Disease Research Center, Citizen's Health Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sujin An *Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kihyun ParkDepartment of Family Medicine, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Soohyung LeeDepartment of Family Medicine, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Yoo Min HanDepartment of Internal Medicine and Healthcare Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seong-Joon KohDepartment of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Joowon LeeInfectious Disease Research Center, Citizen's Health Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hyerin GimInfectious Disease Research Center, Citizen's Health Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Donghyun Kim *Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. biologokim@snu.ac.kr.
Haesook Seo *Infectious Disease Research Center, Citizen's Health Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 27723@seoul.go.kr.

Funding

National Research Foundation of Korea 2022R1A2C1010356National Research Foundation of Korea RS-2023-00227939
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionFollowing severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, symptoms can persist for more than 12 weeks in over 10% of patients in a condition known as long coronavirus disease (COVID). Gut microbiota dysbiosis is correlated with long COVID, but the specific relationship between long COVID and the gut microbiome remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate connections between the gut microbiota and long COVID severity.

methodsFecal samples were collected from 31 patients with long COVID, 14 with COVID-19 but not long COVID, and 23 healthy controls. The mean interval between COVID-19 diagnosis and sample collection was 65.5 (range: 13.0-110.3) weeks for patients with long COVID and 74.8 (range: 50.7-110.4) weeks for positive control group. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Patient-reported outcomes were used to comprehensively assess long COVID symptom severity.

resultsSymptom severity was higher in patients with severe initial infections and significantly correlated with serum triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. Results showed distinct microbial profiles in patients with long COVID. Leuconostoc, Actinomyces, and Granulicatella were significantly enriched, and they accurately distinguished patients with long COVID from controls, indicating their potential as long COVID biomarkers. Particular gut bacteria were significantly correlated with certain systemic, gastrointestinal, otolaryngologic, and visual symptoms. Parabacteroides, Eubacterium ventriosum group, and Rothia abundance was correlated with blood biomarkers that influence long COVID development, including total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and basophil levels.

conclusionsThe gut microbial signature of patients with long COVID differed from that of healthy controls. Certain microbial genera showed significant differences between patients with long COVID and controls, suggesting potential as preliminary biomarkers and therapeutic targets for long COVID pending validation in larger studies.

Indexed as

DysbiosisGut microbiomeImmune responseLong COVIDSeverity of symptoms

Identifiers

PMID40450635
PMCPMC12271030

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.