In this article, we look at two recent studies exploring the connection between epigenetics and Long COVID.
Shared Biological Signatures Between Long COVID and ME/CFS
A new study has found similarities between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID, two conditions that share more than 95% of their symptoms. Researchers analyzed DNA from immune cells in three groups, people with ME/CFS, people with Long COVID, and healthy volunteers.
Overall, DNA methylation patterns looked similar across all groups. But in both ME/CFS and Long COVID patients, scientists detected small yet significant changes in specific DNA regions, many involving increased methylation in areas key to gene control.
More than 100 of these changes were identical in both illnesses; however, the Long COVID group also showed unique alterations, often more pronounced than those seen in ME/CFS. Researchers suggest the difference could be linked to illness duration: on average, Long COVID patients had been sick for about a year, while ME/CFS participants had been ill for roughly 12 years.
How COVID-19 Alters Gene Activity in Severe Cases
The second study investigated how severe COVID-19 affects gene activity. Researchers identified 16 genes and 30 DNA sites that behaved differently in the most severely affected patients. These changes were linked to the way the virus spreads, how the immune system responds, and how the disease damages the lungs and other organs.
As patients began to recover, these DNA and gene activity changes returned to normal, indicating the body can reverse them relatively quickly. The findings shed light on how our genes respond at different stages of infection and could help doctors predict patient outcomes or develop targeted treatments for severe COVID-19.
