Reduced SARS-CoV-2 entry factors and enhanced innate immune gene expression in the nasal epithelium of pregnant rats

An enigmatic epidemiological feature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the high rate of asymptomatic infection in pregnant women.1 This is puzzling because systemic immune changes predispose pregnant women to increased severity of respiratory viral infections, especially influenza A.2 A major roadblock in understanding this atypical clinical presentation is the poor characterization of cellular entry factors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) — angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the androgen-sensitive transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) — in the respiratory tract during pregnancy.
Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research