[초청강연] Immunological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and long COVID-19

Immunological sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and long COVID-19
Jae Ung. Jung, Cancer Biology Department, Infection Biology Program, and gt;1400 cytokines of their peripheral and cord blood specimens, compared to 30 healthy pregnant
women and 7 control infants. Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection triggered NF-B-dependent
proinflammatory immune activation. Pregnant women with severe COVID19 showed an
enhanced IFN- antiviral signaling, potentially preventing vertical transmission. Furthermore,
SARS-CoV-2 infection re-shaped maternal immunity at delivery, promoting late pregnancy- and
postpartum-related complications. Finally, COVID19-exposed infants exhibited dysregulated
neonatal T cell immunity and altered Wnt/-catenin signaling which might adversely affect
immunity and neurodevelopment, while gestational COVID19-exposure conceivably promoted
inflammasome-driven neonatal respiratory distress. Our findings demonstrate a COVID19-
induced immune rewiring in mother and child, warranting long-term clinical follow-up to mitigate
potential health risks.
Long COVID19: Since the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, there have been reports of people
experiencing persistent symptoms weeks to months after initial infection. It has then become
evident that persistent symptoms after COVID19 are not restricted to those who were critically ill
or hospitalized but can occur in patients who has mild disease and never needed to be
hospitalized. This condition is termed as “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection
(PASC)” or “Long COVID19”. Specifically, neurological, or neuropsychiatric symptoms
commonly observed in long COVID19 patients include headache, fatigue, brain fog and memory
loss. 30 no-long COVID and 32 long COVID19 with chronic headache) showed
striking changes of inflammatory cytokines, metabolites, neurotransmitters, and gene
expressions.