Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40519925›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Markers of T cell activation and exhaustion in plasma are associated with persistent symptoms up to 18 months following mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Thor Ueland, Rebecca Jane Cox, Annika E Michelsen, Elisabeth Berg Fjelltveit, Kari Otterdal, Tuva Dahl, Fan Zhou, Rebecca Elyanow, Pål Aukrust, Bjørn Blomberg and 2 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 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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

12 authors.

Thor UelandResearch Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Rebecca Jane CoxDepartment of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Annika E MichelsenResearch Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Elisabeth Berg FjelltveitDepartment of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Kari OtterdalResearch Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Tuva DahlResearch Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Fan ZhouInfluenza Centre, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Rebecca ElyanowAdaptive Biotechnologies, Seattle, WA, United States.
Pål AukrustResearch Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Bjørn BlombergDepartment of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Bente E HalvorsenResearch Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Nina LangelandDepartment of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 is an increasing problem after COVID-19 disease. The pathogenesis of this persistent post Covid-19 Condition (PCC) is, however, largely unknown. We hypothesized that persistent T cell activation and exhaustion play a role in PCC development. Methods: We examined plasma levels of soluble (s) CD25, TIM-3 and LAG-3, all markers of T cell activation/exhaustion, by enzyme immunoassays in 170 home-isolated and 53 hospitalized patients for up to 18 months after COVID-19 in relation to persistent symptomatology. Results: Our major findings were: (i) Cases with persistent dyspnea and fatigue had markedly higher sCD25 at 6-18 months with a more modest increase in sTIM-3. (ii) Cases with memory problems at 12-18 months had increased sLAG-3 iii) sCD25 correlated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers and microneutralization titers only in cases with PCC while sTIM-3 correlated with these parameters irrespectively of symptoms. iv) Although hospitalized patients had markedly elevated levels of T cell activation/exhausting markers during follow-up, there was no relation to PCC symptoms. Conclusion: Our study indicates a role for T cell activation/exhaustion in PCC following home isolated COVID-19 infection, with somewhat different patterns of sCD25, sTIM-3 and sLAG-3, but not in hospitalized COVID-19 patients where disease severity may be more important.

Indexed as

COVID-19Lymphocyte ActivationSARS-CoV-2T-LymphocytesAdultAgedAntibodies, ViralBiomarkersFemaleHepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2HumansInterleukin-2 Receptor alpha SubunitLymphocyte Activation Gene 3 ProteinMaleMiddle AgedAntibodies, ViralBiomarkersHAVCR2 protein, humanHepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2IL2RA protein, humanInterleukin-2 Receptor alpha SubunitLymphocyte Activation Gene 3 Proteinlong-term follow-upmild covid-19 infectionpersistent symptomspost-covid conditionSARS-CoV-2T cell activation and exhaustion

Identifiers

PMID40519925
PMCPMC12162895

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.