How Can You Biochemically Differentiate Between COVID-19 and MIS-C?

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is associated with COVID-19. The pathogenesis of MIS-C is poorly elucidated. In addition, the current diagnosis of MIS-C relies primarily on clinical symptoms and therefore it is often misdiagnosed. To effectively differentiate between COVID-19 and MIS-C, researchers analyzed blood samples of 237 pediatric patients with COVID-19 or MIS-C to reveal the distinct nucleic acid biomarkers involved in each condition.

What did they find? Next-generation sequencing of plasma cell-free nucleic acids discovered increased multiorgan involvement in MIS-C compared to COVID-19. Pathways affected These novel findings can be capitalized on to accurately differentiate MIS-C from COVID-19 and to evaluate tissue injury and monitor recovery in children. Can these findings be used to develop gene expression-based tests specific for diagnosis of the…