Researchers have uncovered sets of proteins that could contribute to inflammatory syndromes some children experience following SARS-CoV-2 infection, the Guardian says.
Some children may develop multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after having COVID-19, reactions to infection that the Guardian notes has puzzled physicians. In a new study appearing in Nature Communications, researchers from Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia conducted a proteomic analysis of plasma proteins isolated from children who developed MIS-C or ARDS and from children prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They uncovered 76 proteins that were differentially expressed across the groups as well as 85 proteins that were specific to MIS-C and 52 specific to ARDS. These protein sets highlighted the roles of the complement activation and coagulation pathways in both inflammatory syndromes as well as suggested the involvement of Fcγ receptor and B-cell receptor activation in MIS-C as well as heme scavenging and retinoid metabolism in COVID-19-related ARDS.
"Our research was the first to uncover the specific blood clotting and immune protein pathways impacted in children with COVID-19 who developed these serious symptoms," first author Colin McCafferty from MCRI tells the Guardian.