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Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
@froglet80
Jul 18, 2024 • 15 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
By now, you've probably seen the crowdfunding for a long covid biomarker test (). Maybe, like me, you've even donated to the cause. This is definitely exciting research, and much needed. 🧵longcovidbiomarkers.com
But, many folks are confused by what exactly its all about, so I want to try to clear that up up a bit by taking a look at their research correspondance, published in Lancet Microbes (). 🧵thelancet.com/journals/lanmi…
In this study, researchers compared the gene expression in blood cells from 48 people with long covid, to that of 12 people who had been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 but did not report any ongoing symptoms as a control group. 🧵
The groups were matched according to age, sex, vaccination status, and time since infection. Average time since infection was 24 months for long covid and 21 months for controls. 🧵
The researchers examined nearly 800 host and viral genes, and found 212 that were different between the long covid and control groups. Adjustment to account for other variables narrowed this to 70 genes that showed significantly different levels of expression. 🧵
This included SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid, ORF7a, ORF3a, Mpro, and antisense ORF1ab RNA, host cell ACE2/TMPRSS2 receptors, DPP4/Furin proteases, and several related to memory B cells and platelets, which were all upregulated in the long covid group as compared to the contol group.🧵
Researchers say antisense ORF1ab indicates ongoing viral replication, and ACE2/TMPRSS2 and DPP4/Furin are related to SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. 🧵
Host FYN RNA and SARS-CoV-2 antisense RNA were found to be independent predictors of long covid, and together distinguished long covid from controls with 93.8% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity. 🧵
FYN RNA alone did so with 72.9% sensitivity and 100% specificity, and viral antisense RNA alone did so with 52.1% sensitivity and 91.7% specificity. 🧵
Sensitivity tells you how many of the actual cases a test is able to detect, and specificity tells you how many of the cases it detected are actual cases. 🧵
Researchers then determined participants viral load - defined as the sum of all viral transcripts in the sample. While viral RNA's were detected in both the long covid and control groups, that in the long covid group was significantly higher than that of controls. 🧵 graph red is lc, green is control see linked paper for full caption
The researchers also found that higher viral loads correlated with lower immunometabolism scores, and higher self reported anxiety and depression scores. 🧵
Finally, they found that increased number of comorbidities was correlated with higher viral loads, while number of vaccinations was correlated with lower viral loads. 🧵
Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with the researchers or the orgs crowdfunding on their behalf, and I have no formal scientific or medical background. This is not medical advice and may contain errors.

If you find my threads useful, you can donate to support my work at ko-fi.com/froglet80
Adding this thread for #LongCovid #CommunityCare because people need support now while we wait for research ❤️

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More from @froglet80

Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
Aug 24
This is especially poignant to write, given my current situation. Honestly, I'm not sure what I can say that the article didn't already lay out, except that it's about damn time - and I fear it will come too late for too many of us.
1️⃣
I'm also acutely aware that Michael and many others who follow me have been in this same position before - a novel virus, immune dysfunction, no treatment and the world at large doesn't give a shit even as people are dying.
2️⃣
"scientists believe that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may be subtly altering our immune systems"

"The plausibility is there. The precedent is there."

What no one wants to say out loud is that it is happening. And we have seen it all before. And that precedent is HIV.

3️⃣
Read 17 tweets
Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
Jul 30
Its related, but complicated. We know a lot more about the virus and how it causes damage over time than we did in the early days. Also, U=U & TasP are now important factors.

But it wasn't always this way. Time for history lessons... and a discussion of why it matters

1️⃣
First, a brief reminder that the illness that came to be called AIDS was first identified in June 1981 & the first treatment - AZT - wasn't approved until March 1987. Originally a cancer drug, early adaptations for HIV used too-high doses and had horrific side effects.

2️⃣
Its also important to remember that in the early eighties, we did not yet understand that untreated HIV can be asymptomatic for many years before progressing to AIDS, or that this would inevitably happen eventually in nearly all cases.

3️⃣
Read 19 tweets
Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
Jul 29
so, here's the shit we need to talk about.

EVERYONE HAS LATENT VIRAL INFECTIONS FROM CHILDHOOD.

everyone. fully vaxxed or fully unvaxxed. you have at least a few.

your t cells keep them in check usually.

SARS-CoV-2 infection kills t cells & can allow reactivation

1️⃣
The fake debate about whether or not immune dysregulation persists, which is falsely framed with all the wrong terminology to keep us confused, doesn't actually even matter.

It is settled science that SARS-CoV-2 causes acute lymphopenia in hospitalized patients.

2️⃣
Before you mistakenly interpret that to mean *only* hospitaized patients... quick, what's your CD4 count?

Unless you have HIV or cancer, or have had it checked since covid because you read - its unlikely that either you or your doctor have ever thought about it.

3️⃣
Read 12 tweets
Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
Jun 14
I've written ad nauseum about my journey thru this long covid nightmare for over five years now. You're probably all sick of hearing about it by now, but I figure you stick around because you think I'll find the answers somehow. And maybe I did, but you ain't gonna like it. 🧵
For those few that don't know - I contracted SARS-CoV-2 (herein, sars2) early in 2020 and subsequently developed persistent cd4 specific lymphopenia (the same type of immune deficiency seen in advanced HIV/AIDS) 🧵
That has led to a years long battle with opportunistic and reactivated latent infections, as we struggle to find some way to treat the underlying cause - which research has shown over and over to be persistent sars2. 🧵
Read 14 tweets
Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
May 11
I know everyone wants quick answers for #LongCovid but the thing is, they don't exist. Not for us, and not for #Virology or #Immunology in general. And when you try to force it, you run the risk of making things worse and not being able to determine the cause. 🧵
It's horrific and inexcuseable that the healthcare system, governments, and researchers have left us in the position of trying to live long enough for them to unass their heads and help us, but here we are. Thing is, that means we have to do it smart. 🧵
To do that, let's back up and review the scientific method. Some may vaguely remember it, from way back in the elementary school science fair days. But most folks these days, seem to have never learned it at all. 🧵
Read 14 tweets
Froglet 🐸 Profile picture
May 4
Hear me out. Everything is allergies now, right? Well, in a way, the deniers are actually correct. Most people are allergic to viruses, and can become very ill from contact with them. We should use this technicality to its fullest potential. 🧵
First, the background. What are "allergies?" Allergies are an immune response to a foreign substance the immune system perceives as a threat.That is, when your immune cells encounter pollen, for example, they perceive it as a threat and mount an attack as they would a virus 🧵
So if the minimizers want to call everything "not covid" and blame their symptoms on "allergies," if doctors want to call our requests to mask for covid safety "anxiety," its time to take note of that line on patient intake paperwork that asks about ... allergies. 🧵
Read 11 tweets

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