Aim of this page is to identify the molecular bases of Cov-2 interaction with the host
Risk Factors
COVID-19 and Italy: what next? 13/03/20
The mean age of those who died in Italy was 81 years and more than two-thirds of these patients had diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or cancer, or were former smokers. It is, therefore, true that these patients had underlying health conditions, but it is also worth noting that they had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, needed respiratory support, and would not have died otherwise.
All the conditions associated with a worse prognosis are associated with a higher level of cortisol, as aging does
aging and cortisol.
aging and cortisol
Aging
Cortisol levels were increased whereas DHEA levels were significantly reduced in the elderly.
Glutathione (GSH)
As GSH decreases with age, diseases, and environmental factors we can assume that the increased sensitivity to the Coronavirus infection can also depend on low GSH.
aging and glutathione
aging and glutathione
Sex differences
Out of 10 infected and heavily symptomatic, 7 are males and 3 are females; in elder people, the ratio is 8 to 2. The same on dead people.
The three epicentres of the coronavirus epidemic, Wuhan, China; Qom, Iran and Lombardy, Italy do share something in common: extremely high levels of air pollution.
Air pollution may reduce body GSH, and low level of GSH are associated with different symptoms, including insulin resistance and diabetes, one of the death risk factors in infected patients.
Protective effect of GSH
As it is possible to modulate GSH level by dietary supply (Body GSH Upregulation) its increase can be a sound approach to prevention or even treatment of COVID19 infections
Direct anti-Viral activity
Antiviral Compounds Against Nucleocapsid Protein of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, 2017
Antiviral activity in PEDV-infected Vero cells demonstrated that the effective concentration of trichlormethiazide, D-(+) biotin, and glutathione in inhibiting PEDV replication were 0.094, 0.094 and 1.5 mg/mL.
Acid Vesicles
Chloroquine
Pescarmona G Chloroquine
In vitro chloroquine was able to inhibit HIV replication by alkalinization of lymphocytes lysosomes.
NF-κB
aging+and+cortisol Coronavirus and NF-kB
Inhibition of NF-κB-mediated inflammation in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-infected mice increases survival. 2014
Most important, treatment with drugs that inhibited NF-κB activation led to a reduction in inflammation and lung pathology in both SARS-CoV-infected cultured cells and mice and significantly increased mouse survival after SARS-CoV infection.
Nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV activates interleukin-6 expression through cellular transcription factor NF-kappaB. 2007
Oxidative stress and regulation of glutathione in lung inflammation.2000
... the role of glutathione in oxidant-mediated susceptibility/tolerance, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase genetic susceptibility and the potential therapeutic role of glutathione and its precursors in protecting against lung oxidant stress, inflammation, and injury.
nf-kb and coronavirus
Therapy
As Glutathione (GSH) decreases with age, diseases, and environmental factors we can assume that the increased sensitivity to the Coronavirus infection depends on low GSH.
aging and glutathione
Other pathologies with low GSH
nf-kb and cortisol
nf-kb and glutathione
Il6 and glutathione
i-kb+and+glutathione
Thiol Regulation of the Production of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 by Human Alveolar Macrophages 1999
| Risk Factors | DHEA | Cortisol | GSH | Vit D |
| Age | low | high | low | low |
| Diabetes | low | high | low | low |
| Hypertension | low | high | low | low |
| Diuretics | - | high | - | - |
| Drugs | - | - | low | low |
| Air Pollution | - | - | low | low |
Conflicting results:
The membrane protein of SARS-CoV suppresses NF-kappaB activation. 2007
