De novo COVID-19-associated insulin resistance drives dysregulated neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis) four months after infection - Summary - MDSpire

De novo COVID-19-associated insulin resistance drives dysregulated neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis) four months after infection

  • By

  • Sergio Sanhueza

  • Camilo Cabrera

  • Romina Quiroga

  • Bárbara Antilef

  • Camila Muñoz

  • Agustín Vera

  • Ricardo Cartes

  • Liliana Lamperti

  • Enrique Guzmán-Gutiérrez

  • Claudio Aguayo

  • Valeska Ormazábal

  • Mauricio Alejandro Hernández

  • Jaime Lastra

  • Benilde Riffo

  • Gustavo Cerda

  • Luciano Ferrada

  • David De Gonzalo-Calvo

  • María C. García-Hidalgo

  • Mario Henríquez

  • María Inés Barría

  • Ricardo A. Verdugo

  • Alicia Colombo

  • Gonzalo Labarca

  • Estefanía Nova-Lamperti

  • May 4, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To characterize the emergence of glucose metabolism disorders (GMDs) after COVID-19 and determine their effect on neutrophil NETosis, highlighting the importance of this understanding for patient management.

Key Findings:
  • 24 out of 36 patients without pre-existing GMDs developed insulin resistance (IR) four months post-COVID-19.
  • Neutrophils from IR patients showed increased basal NETosis but impaired response to TLR7/8 agonists.
  • NETosis responses to IL-6 and TNF-α were preserved, indicating no intrinsic defect in neutrophils.
  • Plasma from IR patients significantly enhanced NETosis, and insulin was found to enhance NETosis independently of glucose levels.
Interpretation:

De novo insulin resistance following COVID-19 may dysregulate NETosis, primarily through an insulin-enhancing effect, which could contribute to thrombo-inflammatory complications, emphasizing the need for clinical awareness.

Limitations:
  • The study was limited to a specific cohort and may not be generalizable to all COVID-19 patients.
  • Longitudinal data beyond four months post-infection were not included, and potential biases in cohort selection were not addressed.
Conclusion:

Post-viral management of glucose metabolism disorders is crucial to mitigate pathological NETosis and its associated thrombo-inflammatory consequences, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring in post-COVID-19 patients.

Original Source(s)

De novo COVID-19-associated insulin resistance drives dysregulated neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis) four months after infection

  • by Sergio Sanhueza, Camilo Cabrera, Romina Quiroga, Bárbara Antilef, Camila Muñoz, Agustín Vera, Ricardo Cartes, Liliana Lamperti, Enrique Guzmán-Gutiérrez, Claudio Aguayo, Valeska Ormazábal, Mauricio Alejandro Hernández, Jaime Lastra, Benilde Riffo, Gustavo Cerda, Luciano Ferrada, David De Gonzalo-Calvo, María C. García-Hidalgo, Mario Henríquez, María Inés Barría, Ricardo A. Verdugo, Alicia Colombo, Gonzalo Labarca, Estefanía Nova-Lamperti

  • May 4, 2026

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