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Proteins Failed to Predict Long COVID Cases

Researchers determined that two specific proteins did not reliably improve the prediction of Long COVID outcomes.

Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in COVID-19

Isometric editorial illustration of laboratory vials and a glass pipette on a clean clinical surface, representing scientific protein research.
Researchers testing the effectiveness of FGF2 and PRDX3 proteins for predicting Long COVID found that the biomarkers provided no reliable improvements over baseline predictive models. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

A recent study evaluated the effectiveness of FGF2 and PRDX3 proteins in predicting the development of Long COVID. Scientists found that incorporating these proteins into prediction models failed to provide significant improvements over baseline models.

Why it matters

Identifying reliable biomarkers is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of chronic post-viral conditions. This study highlights the difficulty in establishing universal protein markers due to the complexity of patient responses.

The study analyzed 204 participants in the Su cohort and 113 in the Zurich cohort, recording 75 and 40 Long COVID events respectively. Neither FGF2 nor PRDX3 demonstrated a meaningful increase in predictive accuracy.

The details

Researchers fitted a reference model based on patient age and sex to test against a protein model including FGF2 and PRDX3. The analysis revealed that protein standardization is highly dependent on the target cohort, making these markers ineffective for generalized predictions.

Timeline

  1. The study findings were published on October 10, 2026.

The Big Picture

This study contributes to the ongoing search for objective Long COVID biomarkers by providing evidence against the utility of specific candidate proteins. It serves as a reminder that early-stage findings in post-viral research often require rigorous validation across diverse cohorts.

For patients seeking clarity on Long COVID, this indicates that these specific protein tests are not yet viable for clinical use. It reinforces the necessity of relying on physician-led symptom assessments rather than currently available molecular markers.

The takeaway

The study demonstrates the significant challenge of finding singular biomarkers for complex post-viral conditions. Readers should remain cautious of early reports regarding diagnostic tests for Long COVID until they have been validated in large, multi-site trials.

Further reading

For more information on the latest scientific updates, visit our COVID-19 section.