Possible Role of Fibrinaloid Microclots in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Focus on Long COVID.

Kell, Douglas B ORCID: 0000-0001-5838-7963, Khan, Muhammed Asad, Kane, Binita, Lip, Gregory YH ORCID: 0000-0002-7566-1626 and Pretorius, Etheresia (2024) Possible Role of Fibrinaloid Microclots in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Focus on Long COVID. Journal of personalized medicine, 14 (2). p. 170.

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jpm14020170

Abstract

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a common accompaniment of a variety of chronic, inflammatory diseases, including long COVID, as are small, insoluble, 'fibrinaloid' microclots. We here develop the argument, with accompanying evidence, that fibrinaloid microclots, through their ability to block the flow of blood through microcapillaries and thus cause tissue hypoxia, are not simply correlated with but in fact, by preceding it, may be a chief intermediary cause of POTS, in which tachycardia is simply the body's exaggerated 'physiological' response to hypoxia. Similar reasoning accounts for the symptoms bundled under the term 'fatigue'. Amyloids are known to be membrane disruptors, and when their targets are nerve membranes, this can explain neurotoxicity and hence the autonomic nervous system dysfunction that contributes to POTS. Taken together as a system view, we indicate that fibrinaloid microclots can serve to link POTS and fatigue in long COVID in a manner that is at once both mechanistic and explanatory. This has clear implications for the treatment of such diseases.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Long COVID, TeamClots, fibrinaloid microclots, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	28 Feb 2024 10:37
Last Modified:	28 Feb 2024 10:37
DOI:	10.3390/jpm14020170
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14020170
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3178944