VEGFA sex-specific signature is associated to long COVID symptom persistence
Using high-throughput proteomic profiling in a population-based cohort, we observed that vascular dysfunction, particularly involving VEGFA, is a key feature of long COVID, especially in milder cases, with significant overexpression of VEGFA in postmenopausal women. Sex-specific proteomic patterns suggest distinct recovery mechanisms, highlighting the need to consider sex, vascular health, and disease severity in the pathogenesis and management of long COVID.
Authors
- Natàlia Blay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7160-8529)
- Susana Iraola‐Guzmán (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3359-1241)
- Laia Llucià‐Carol (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7732-0665)
- Judith García‐Aymerich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7097-4586)
- Gemma Moncunill (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5105-9836)
- Carles Barceló (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2551-2136)
- Xavier Farré (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6838-9479)
- Israel Fernández Cadenas
- Rafael de Cid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3579-6777)
- Ana Espinosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7399-3267)
- Marianna Karachaliou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3014-0747)
- Carlota Dobaño (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6751-4060)
- Sayoa Alzate-Piñol
- Gemma Castaño-Vinyals
- Francisco Fernández-Jiménez
Institutions
- Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya (ES)
- Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (ES)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
- Hospital de Sant Pau (ES)
- Erasmus MC (NL)
- Centro de Investigación en Red en Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (ES)
- Hospital Del Mar (ES)
- Municipal Institute for Medical Research (ES)
- Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (ES)
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ES)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (ES)
- Hospital del Mar Research Institute (ES)
- Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Medicine
- Published
- 2025-10-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04402-6
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.78
Funders
- “la Caixa” Foundation
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Grifols
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme