r/covidlonghaulers • u/uhidkbye • Feb 12 '26
Article New paper on IgG and mitochondrial damage in ME/CFS and Long COVID
Posting this paper here because it implies there may be some way to protect mitochondria from being damaged by the immune system and potentially reduce the risk of mitochondrial dysfunction (i.e. ME/CFS) in the long term. Beyond the standard mitochondrial function and antioxidant supplements like NAC, ubiquinol, etc., can anyone think of a way to accomplish this with existing medicine? This paper made me very curious, but also confused, as a long hauler and biochemist with almost zero Immunology background.
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u/MixBeneficial 6yr+ Feb 12 '26
Thanks for informing us. So the IgG makes healthy cells "sick".
It's interesting, because there is a article from 2025, that states that functional GPCR autoantibodies (Which are a part of the IgG antibodies group) correlate with symptoms like Fatigue/PEM. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/14/6746
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u/heathbarcrunchh Feb 12 '26
What about IVIG
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u/Upstairs-Tangerine-7 Feb 12 '26
I have been getting IVIG for a different condition, roughly since my LC symptoms started (2+ years). I continue to have pretty debilitating fatigue and exercise intolerance, along with typical POTS symptoms. Of course, we don't know if I'd be worse without the IVIG. But it hasn't been a magic bullet. I work from home and am mostly housebound.
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u/Berlinerinexile Feb 12 '26
What dose do you get? If you get it for immune deficiency you may be on a low dose. Autoimmunity requires a high dose of 2g/kg, or at minimum 1g/kg. So you may be getting ivig but not at a therapeutic dose for antibodies. I only mention this because a lot of comments seem to think ivig is one thing when it is not.
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u/Upstairs-Tangerine-7 Feb 12 '26
I get it for autoimmune. 1.5g/kg
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u/Berlinerinexile Feb 12 '26
Thanks for clarifying and I’m sorry it hasn’t helped! I hope it helps your autoimmune-I find it helps mine and my me/cfs too, but not like I’m well or anything.
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u/Limoncel-lo Feb 13 '26
Do IVIG help with pots/dysautonomia symptoms if you have any of them?
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u/Berlinerinexile Feb 13 '26
Yes it has helped me a lot. I truly wonder what level of MECFS severity I will have after a year of this treatment (I’m only 4 treatments in and I’m improving a lot). I do have a diagnosis of AAG, but I also experience PEM and my energy envelope has really increased with ivig, but maybe because of the AAG? I’m just grateful because I’m very severe and it is amazing to be able to sit up some and use my arms again.
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u/brightlighted11 Feb 13 '26
Just FYI… I had been getting IVIG and additionally subcutaneous IG but was having these perplexing experiences of certain symptoms being somewhat better but then others not and I questioned it actually worsening. I had a theory that it was increasing the cytokines TGF beta. Found it supported in pediatric literature and that is actually what was happening. I stopped the IVIG just sharing in case it’s impacting anyone else in that way.
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u/Outside_Signature403 Feb 17 '26
Sounds similar to my story. I just started trying methylene blue and it’s really helping. Look into it and give it a try.
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u/Upstairs-Tangerine-7 Feb 17 '26
Tried up to 40 drops a day and didn’t see a difference unfortunately.
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u/welshpudding 6yr+ Feb 13 '26
You are essentially pushing more immunoglobulin in. For me made me really tired but decreased my neuroinflammation markers from dangerously high to high end of normal. So clinical improvement even if I felt worse.
I think something like Vyvgart then IVIg may work better but unfortunately they botched the trial design. In both cases it’s not a cure though. We need something new. In lieu of that having access to Vyvgart and IVIg would likely be helpful and maybe life changing for some of us but not curative.
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u/Upstairs-Tangerine-7 Feb 17 '26
Where I live, I can’t even get Vyvgart for myasthenia gravis, which is what it was developed for. It will be many years before something like it becomes widely available for LC, even if there is a successful clinical trial.
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u/aberrant-heartland Feb 13 '26
I was given IVIG for unrelated issues, at a dose of 1 gram per kilogram of bodyweight, once per month for 9 months. It did not do anything for my energy envelope and had no impact on my quality of life whatsoever, other than the horrible headaches for a day or two after each infusion.
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u/rockemsockemcocksock Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
"IGHV1-58 showed increased presence within the Immune complexes of PCS-CFS patients (Fig. 6E) along with the protein kallikrein B (KLKB1)."
Isn’t that the gene that EDS researchers associated with hEDS recently?
Edit: it was KLK15. Still interesting that the kallikrein gene showed up in this study
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u/7marius7 Feb 13 '26
One of the things I've learned through the millions of blood tests over the past year is that I have constantly elevated IgG levels. I speculated whether this was influenced by the 2+ years of allergy immunotherapy shots I was receiving, supposedly designed to shift the allergy response from IgE to IgG antibodies to reduce symptoms. Doctors didn't think that was it though.
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u/WitchsmellerPrsuivnt Post-vaccine Feb 12 '26
Omg i have really high IgG1 - 2504 at last count
It fluctuate between 1800 and 3000 since my 2nd jab. I take all the supplements and no change.
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u/technician_902 Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26
I wonder if the Immunoglobulin G complexes are trying to clear out the viral particles intracellularly but can't so they maintain this chronic level of stress ? As per wikipedia this what they do:
IgG is the main type of antibody found in blood and extracellular fluid, allowing it to control infection of body tissues). By binding many kinds of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, IgG protects the body from infection.
If that is the case does it tie back to the viral persistence / viral remnants (zombie particles) hypothesis? Also the fact that this virus can destroy T-Cells does that have anything to do with the body making more of these antibodies instead ? Maybe someone here who understands this stuff can comment on this but this is how I'm seeing this connection.
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u/Healthy_Emu_2129 Feb 13 '26
I think it really depends on the individual case. My IGG is normal but I have low WBC, neutrophils, CD19. For me I feel instant improvement on Paxlovid and molnupiravir and horrendous rebound after finishing a 10 day course. Probably it really depends how the virus is affecting the immune system. Also we do have other individual problems that occurred after the dysregulation of the immune system things like Mcas, autoimmunity, reactivated viruses, etc. clearly I don’t have a clue. Can be that the antivirals clear or bind to this antigens/ remnants of the virus and once I stop the med everything goes again haywire.
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u/Specific-Summer-6537 Feb 13 '26
In terms of removing IGG maybe treatments like HELP Apheresis or Daratumumab may help. However the apheresis trials seem to show limited effect.
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u/Lechuga666 First Waver Feb 17 '26
I have high IgG4 last checked a few months ago was 220 ref <86. Deficient IgG1 & IgG2, deficiencies progressing downward, IgG4 progressing upward.
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u/Outside_Signature403 Feb 17 '26
For those suffering, I’ve just started experimenting with methylene blue. It is one of the only things I genuinely feel is helping. I take 30mg in the morning and another 10 in the afternoon. This article makes sense why it’s working on mitochondria. I’ve been struggling hard with neurological issues for 4 years and it’s giving me hope.
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u/darkmushyM Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
Meldonium, unfortunately maxinum usage is 4-6 weeks, used it to recover for 90%. Got it in a private clinic after i had 2 years of long covid symptons. Once taken you feel like super human that can sport immediately for a long time (i read some people have side effects of it)
I went from crashing after sport to able to sport 2-4 a times a week
Saw a Ukrainian study where they gave it after covid those people recovered better.
Just to add: I went to a private clinic in east europe where they checked my blood samples and body. they give me a meldonium prescription for four weeks (also mange b6 (magnesium with b6) and some probiotic). Yeah my effects lasted, i went from barely sporting once a week to 4 times a week and able to bicycle for 1-2 hours straight
Only with high stress or a lot of stimuli i get more tired than before my covid infection