Long COVID: plasma levels of neurofilament light chain in mild COVID-19 patients with neurocognitive symptoms

It is well known the potential of severe acute respiratory coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to induce post-acute sequelae, a condition called Long COVID.

This syndrome includes several symptoms, but the central nervous system (CNS) main one is neurocognitive dysfunction.

Recently it has been demonstrated the relevance of plasma levels of neurofilament light chain (pNfL), as a biomarker of early involvement of the CNS in COVID-19.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pNfL in patients with post-acute neurocognitive symptoms and the potential of NfL as a prognostic biomarker in these cases.

A group of 63 long COVID patients ranging from 18 to 59 years-old were evaluated, submitted to a neurocognitive battery assessment, and subdivided in different groups, according to results.

Plasma samples were collected during the long COVID assessment and used for measurement of pNfL with the Single molecule array (SIMOA) assays.

Levels of pNfL were significantly higher in long COVID patients with neurocognitive symptoms when compared to HC ( p  = 0.0031).

Long COVID patients with cognitive impairment and fatigue symptoms presented higher pNfL levels when compared to long COVID patients without these symptoms, individually and combined ( p  = 0.0263, p  = 0.0480, and 0.0142, respectively).

Correlation analysis showed that levels of cognitive lost and exacerbation of fatigue in the neurocognitive evaluation had a significative correlation with higher pNfL levels ( p  = 0.0219 and 0.0255, respectively).

Previous reports suggested that pNfL levels are related with higher risk of severity and predict lethality of COVID-19.

Our findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection seems to have a long-term impact on the brain, even in patients who presented mild acute disease.

NfL measurements might be useful to identify CNS involvement in long COVID associated with neurocognitive symptoms and to identify who will need continuous monitoring and treatment support.