Sex-specific inflammatory profiles affect neuropsychiatric issues in COVID-19 survivors
Description
Post-COVID-19 syndrome has unveiled intricate connections between inflammation, depressive psychopathology, and cognitive impairment. This study investigates these relationships in 101 COVID-19 survivors, focusing on sex-specific variations. Utilizing path modelling techniques, we analysed the interplay of one-month 48-biomarker inflammatory panel, on three-month depressive symptoms and cognitive performance. The findings indicate that cognitive impairment is influenced by both inflammation and depression in the overall cohort. However, sex-specific differences emerged prominently. In females, residual dysregulated immune-inflammatory response significantly affects cognitive functioning also showing a trend of association with depressive burden thus suggesting that a mixed anti- and pro-inflammatory profile could foster these outcomes. Conversely, in males, inflammation was inversely associated with depression severity, with protective effects from regulatory mediators (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-15, LIF, TNF-α, β-NGF) on depression. Cognitive impairment in males was primarily influenced by depression, not inflammation. These results highlight distinct sex-specific pathways in immune and inflammatory responses post-COVID-19, potentially shaped by endocrine mechanisms. The findings emphasize the persistent impact of inflammation on the brain and underscore the need for sex-tailored therapeutic strategies to mitigate the long-term neuropsychiatric burden of COVID-19.
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Institutions
- IRCCS Ospedale San RaffaeleLombardy, Milan