The dark side of the covid-19 treatments on mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Since the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the end of 2019, a number of medications have been used to treat the infection and the related Coronavirus disease – 19 (COVID-19).Some of the administered drugs were tested or used in practice only on the basis of biological plausibility; a promising strategy was to target the host immune response, with host directed therapies (HDTs), to reduce systemic hyperinflammation and hypercytokinemia responsible for additional tissue damage.We summarize the treatments against SARS-CoV-2 and underline their possible effects onMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Both SARS-CoV-2 andMtb respiratory infections impair the host ’s immune response. Furthermore, little research has been conducted on the impact of medicaments used to counteract COVID-19 disease in patients with Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI). A number of these drugs may modulate host immune response by modifying LTBI dynamic equilibrium, favoring eith er the host or the bacteria.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, COVID-19, Tuberculosis, Host directed therapies
Source: Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research