AI-Based Blood Diagnostics Accurately Identifies Long COVID in Children

Medical News: A groundbreaking discovery by researchers has brought the medical community one step closer to accurately diagnosing Long COVID in children through a simple blood test. This innovative approach, which employs Artificial Intelligence (AI), has demonstrated a remarkable accuracy rate of 93%, offering new avenues for timely detection and personalized treatment plans.


AI-Based Blood Diagnostics Accurately Identifies Long COVID in Children
 
The Research Team and Study Objectives
This breakthrough was achieved through collaborative efforts by an Italian team of researchers from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, and Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù IRCCS. The study was led by Dr. Danilo Buonsenso, a pediatric researcher from Università Cattolica’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and a practicing pediatrician at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS. Key contributors also included Dr. Nicola Cotugno, an expert in Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology at Bambino Gesù IRCCS Pediatric Hospital, alongside Dr. Piero Valentini and Dr. Paolo Palma, both seasoned pediatric researchers affiliated with these institutions.
 
The study’s primary goal was to explore the molecular underpinnings of Long COVID in children and establish a reliable diagnostic method. This Medical News report highlights that Long COVID has often been elusive to diagnose, especially in pediatric populations, due to its complex and varied symptoms. The researchers aimed to bridge this gap by identifying a molecular signature unique to Long COVID in children and leveraging AI to analyze the data.
 
Long COVID in Children: A Growing Concern
Long COVID, also referred to as Post-COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, impacts approximately 0.5% of pediatric patients who have been exposed to the virus. The condition is characterized by persistent symptoms lasting at least 8 to 12 weeks, which disrupt daily life and were absent before the infection. Among children, those over 10 years of age are more likely to experience Long COVID, irrespective of the severity of the initial infection.
 
Unlike adults, whose blood often reveals a clear molecular signature of Long COVID, similar evidence in children had been sparse until now. This gap in understanding has posed significant challenges for pediatricians attempting to provide timely and effective care.
 
Key Findings from the Study
The researchers analyzed blood samples from 112 participants aged 0 to 19 years. These included 34 children clinically diagnosed with Long COVID, 32 with active COVID-19 infections, 27 with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), and 19 healthy controls. The team used advanced proteomic techniques to study the protein composition in blood plasma and identified distinct molecular markers associated with Long COVID.
 
The study revealed that children with Long COVID exhibited elevated level s of specific pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic chemokines, such as CXCL11, CXCL1, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL8, TNFSF11, OSM, and STAMBP1a. These markers indicated heightened inflammation, including inflammation of blood vessel walls (endothelial inflammation), which mirrors findings in adult Long COVID patients.
 
To validate these findings, the researchers developed an AI model trained on the proteomic data. This model demonstrated an impressive diagnostic accuracy of 93%, with a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 86%. These metrics underscore the robustness of the AI-powered diagnostic approach.
 
Implications for Pediatric Healthcare
The discovery of a unique protein signature for Long COVID in children has significant implications for the future of pediatric healthcare. By enabling early and accurate diagnosis, this method could pave the way for more personalized treatment strategies, improving the quality of life for affected children. Moreover, the identification of specific inflammatory markers opens new avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.
 
Dr. Nicola Cotugno emphasized the importance of these findings, stating, “The immunological data produced in this study provide the evidence needed to identify therapeutic targets to be tested in efficacy and safety studies in pediatric Long COVID.” Similarly, Dr. Buonsenso highlighted the urgency of continued research, noting, “This work demonstrates incontrovertibly that Long COVID, even in pediatric cases, is an organic immune-mediated disease. It underscores the need for increased funding to explore the best therapeutic approaches.”
 
Moving Toward Routine Diagnostics
The study’s findings bring us closer to developing a simple, routine diagnostic test for Long COVID in children. Such a test, based on a standard blood sample, would revolutionize how the condition is identified and managed. Early detection would enable healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive care tailored to each patient’s needs, mitigating the long-term impact of the condition.
 
The study also underscores the potential of AI in transforming medical diagnostics. By integrating advanced computational techniques with biological research, the medical community can uncover insights that were previously out of reach. This fusion of technology and medicine holds promise for addressing other complex, immune-mediated conditions as well.
 
Conclusions and Future Directions
The research marks a pivotal step forward in understanding and addressing Long COVID in pediatric populations. By identifying a distinct molecular signature and harnessing the power of AI, the study has laid the groundwork for significant advancements in diagnosis and treatment. However, this is just the beginning.

Future research will need to validate these findings across larger and more diverse populations to ensure their applicability on a global scale. Additionally, efforts should focus on translating these discoveries into accessible diagnostic tools that can be seamlessly integrated into routine clinical practice. This will require collaboration between researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers to secure the necessary funding and resources.
 
Equally important is the need to explore therapeutic options based on the identified molecular markers. Targeted treatments could significantly improve outcomes for children suffering from Long COVID, reducing both the duration and severity of symptoms. As our understanding of the condition evolves, so too will our ability to offer hope and relief to affected families.
 
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Pediatric Research.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-025-03837-0
 
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