ePoster

Passive transfer of IgG from patients with long-COVID neurological symptoms induces tactile allodynia in mice

Margaux Mignolet, Catherine Deroux, Kathleen De Swert, Valéry Bielarz, Fabienne George, Marc Jamoulle, Claire Diederich, Nicolas Gillet, Pierre Bulpa, Charles Nicaise
FENS Forum 2024(2024)
Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Conference

FENS Forum 2024

Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Resources

Authors & Affiliations

Margaux Mignolet, Catherine Deroux, Kathleen De Swert, Valéry Bielarz, Fabienne George, Marc Jamoulle, Claire Diederich, Nicolas Gillet, Pierre Bulpa, Charles Nicaise

Abstract

Between 15% and 30% of SARS-CoV-2-infected people still experience neurological symptoms (memory impairment, attention deficits, pain) more than 4 months after the onset of COVID-19. This condition, long-neuro-COVID, is poorly understood and might be explained by a persisting autoimmune response against nervous-derived self-antigens. This study aims to determine whether IgG autoantibodies from long-COVID patients can bind to central and peripheral nervous system epitopes and reproduce neuropsychiatric symptoms upon transfer into mice. Long-COVID patients meeting the consensus WHO definition were included following a neuropsychological assessment. Age- and sex-matched asymptomatic individuals were used as controls. Total IgG was isolated using protein G purification and injected intraperitoneally into C57Bl6/J mice (8 mg/day) for four consecutive days. During the two weeks post-injections, depression and anxiety were assessed using the tail suspension test, the elevated-plus maze and the light/dark box. Spatial working memory was assessed using the Barnes maze and the Y-maze, and mechanical allodynia was assessed using Von Frey filaments. Mice injected with IgG from long-COVID patients showed no difference with the control group in terms of anxiety or depression behaviors, as well as no impairment of spatial memory. Mice receiving IgG from long-COVID patients displayed a significant decrease in paw withdrawal threshold in both hind paws, that was transient during the first week post-injections. These preliminary data show that IgGs from long-COVID patients can hyperactivate the nociceptive pathways and produce, at least in mice, pain-related symptomatology. Further analysis will aim at identifying the PNS or CNS targets.

Unique ID: fens-24/passive-transfer-from-patients-with-long-covid-bf9b2bc4