Study reveals significant RBCs alterations after COVID-19 infection in children

Germany: A team of researchers conducted a study to understand the relationship between alterations in RBCs and the clinical course of COVID-19 in this age group. This article was published in Scientific Reports on 17 June 2023. 

They investigated red blood cells' morphological and mechanical characteristics (RBCs) in children and adolescents following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The researchers analyzed whole blood samples from 121 students from secondary schools in Saxony, Germany, who had participated in the ImmunCoviDD19-study. The participants were divided into SARS-CoV-2-seropositive and SARS-CoV-2-seronegative based on their SARS-CoV-2 antibody status. The measurement of morphological and mechanical properties of cells RBCs of the participants was examined using a technique called real-time deformability cytometry (RT-DC).

The study found that the median RBC deformation significantly increased in SARS-CoV-2-seropositive children and adolescents compared to seronegative ones. However, this difference was only observed within six months after the COVID-19 infection and was insignificant when the infection occurred more than six months prior. There was no difference in the median RBC area between seropositive and seronegative adolescents.

The finding suggests that increased RBC deformation could serve as a progression parameter in the clinical course of COVID-19 in children and adolescents, providing insights into the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on RBC properties and their potential role in microcirculation and tissue oxygenation.

The researchers have noted that this study focused on a specific cohort of students from a particular region and may not represent the general population. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms behind the observed changes in RBC deformation after SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents.

This study shows that RBC deformation in children and adolescents measured with RT-DC can potentially be a read-out parameter for these recently discovered RBC changes. It could further be elaborated as a point-of-care, easy-to-use clinical diagnostics test.

Reference:

Eder, J., Schumm, L., Armann, J.P. et al. Increased red blood cell deformation in children and adolescents after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sci Rep 13, 9823 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35692-6