The Science Underlying COVID-19: Implications for the Cardiovascular System.

The Science Underlying COVID-19: Implications for the Cardiovascular System. Circulation. 2020 Apr 15;: Authors: Liu PP, Blet A, Smyth D, Li H Abstract Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted health and economy worldwide on an unprecedented scale. Patients have diverse clinical outcomes, but those with pre-existing cardiovascular (CV) disease, hypertension, and related conditions incur disproportionately worse outcome. The high infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is in part related to new mutations in the receptor binding domain, and acquisition of a furin cleavage site in the S spike protein. The continued viral shedding in the asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals enhances its community transmission. The virus uses the ACE2 receptor for internalization, aided by TMPRSS2 protease. The tissue localization of the receptors correlates with COVDI-19 presenting symptoms and organ dysfunction. Virus-induced ACE2 down regulation may attenuate its function, diminish its anti-inflammatory role, and heightened angiotensin II effects in the predisposed patients. Lymphopenia occurs early and is prognostic, potentially associated with reduction of the CD4+ and some CD8+ T cells. This leads to imbalance of the innate/acquired immune response, delayed viral clearance, and hyper stimulated macrophages and neutrophils. Appropriate type I interferon pathway activation is critical for virus attenuation, and balanced immune re...
Source: Circulation - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Circulation Source Type: research