Study record
SARS-CoV-2 and Mitochondrial Proteins in Neural-Derived Exosomes of COVID-19
Peluso MJ, Deeks SG, Mustapic M et al. · Ann Neurol · 2022
Human obs.Endogenous MOTS-c measuredEvidence tier B
What this study reported
Measured mitochondrial proteins in plasma neuron-derived extracellular vesicles and found lower MOTS-c and humanin levels in participants with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 with neuropsychiatric manifestations, but not in those without, relative to controls. MOTS-c was one of many mitochondrial proteins quantified in a biomarker panel.
Limitations
Group sizes are not reported in the abstract, the design is cross-sectional with many proteins tested, and extracellular-vesicle levels are an indirect proxy for neural mitochondrial status.
Study record
| Study model | Human observational |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | Endogenous MOTS-c measuredNaturally occurring MOTS-c was measured; nothing was given. |
| Species | human |
| System studied | Plasma neuron-derived and astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles from people with resolved COVID-19, post-acute sequelae with and without neuropsychiatric features, and healthy controls |
| Population | adults with resolved acute COVID-19, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 with and without neuropsychiatric manifestations, and healthy controls |
| Design | Cross-sectional case-control study |
| Sample size as reported | Not reported |
| Control group | healthy controls and participants with resolved COVID-19 without post-acute sequelae |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | extracellular vesicle MOTS-c; humanin; SARS-CoV-2 S1 and N proteins; respiratory chain complex subunits; mitochondrial calcium channel proteins |
| Pathways measured | Other |
| Research areas | Nervous system · Mitochondrial biology |
| Evidence tier | B — Other human study |
| Publication types | Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Peripheral
- Model applicability
- Human
- Sample size
- Not reported
- Controls
- Appropriate
- Outcome validity
- Exploratory
- Support for its own conclusion
- Weak
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.