Conducted by a research team led by Khalifa University

Emirati scientific research finds the reason for the varying severity of infection with “Corona”

The inflammation caused by “Covid-19” is compounded by the production of reactive oxygen species.

From the source

A research team led by Khalifa University found that the inflammation caused by “Covid-19” is doubled due to the production of reactive oxygen species, which are vital mechanisms that cause oxidative stress and can be countered through antioxidants, as antioxidants are known to be components that contribute to the regulation of oxidative stress during The period of the immune system response, which is an unbalanced equation in “Covid-19” patients, which results in the formation of a “cytokine cyclone”.

The research team included the Director of the Khalifa University Center for Biotechnology, Dr. Habiba Al-Saffar, in cooperation with researchers from the Research Institute of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah, Dr. Rabie Halawani, Dr. Qutaiba Hamed, Dr. Narges Sahib Sharif Askari, Dr. Fatima Sahib Sharif Askari, and Bushra Madkhana, and Hawra Ali Hussein Al Sayed, from the Department of Pharmacy at the Dubai Health Authority, and Dr. Ziad Faour Al Rayes from the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit at the Dubai Health Authority, whose research results were published in the international scientific journal “Free Radical Biology and Medicine.”

Al-Saffar said, "The result of diagnosing patients who suffer from high levels of oxidative stress as a result of respiratory diseases is a worrying result, as we realize that when the (Covid-19) virus binds to the host receptors (ACE-2) and enters the cells of the body, specifically the cells of the lungs, it occurs A sudden drop in the levels of (Ace-2), which is a great harm to humans.”

She added, "These receptors play a pivotal role in regulating oxidative balance, and a decrease in their ratio leads to an increase in the secretion of reactive oxygen species, and inflammation of lung tissue cells contributes to the production of large quantities of these types of oxygen, so healthy cells stimulate an antioxidant reaction, and this mechanism stops Work in case of severe infection with the virus.

Al-Saffar indicated that the study of one of the oxidative stress genes could contribute to finding an effective treatment methodology for “Covid-19” disease, as this might enhance stopping the development of the disease and reaching the stage of “cytokine cyclone” and controlling the excessive response of the immune system before it occurs, and patients can be given doses of anti-inflammatory drugs. Oxidation that contributes to counteracting oxidative stress.

For his part, Dr. Rabih Halawani said, "We examined the mechanism of the effect of (Covid-19) infection on the genetic behavior in patients, and we found that the oxidation genes that cause the production of reactive oxygen species, genes that are not significantly regulated in (Covid-19) patients, while we observed That the antioxidant genes are regulated genes,” indicating that three oxidative dysregulated genes can be detected in severe infections through saliva samples. These results represent an important step towards understanding the mechanisms of the “Covid-19” virus and possible treatment plans.

The research team measured the levels of genetic behavior of 125 genes related to inflammation and oxidation in the bodies of “Covid-19” patients, and these levels were compared with their counterparts in seasonal influenza patients and “Covid-19” patients with mild and moderate infections.

The researchers found that the “Covid-19” virus that enters the lungs spins in a vicious cycle represented in the large production of reactive oxygen species, and the excessive secretion of cytokines that cause tissue damage, which contributes to triggering an immune reaction that exceeds the normal limit and thus releases more cytokines. .

Increased secretion of cytokines

The research team based on the study confirmed that the human body, when infected with any infection, responds to it through the response of the immune system through which immune cells are sent to the affected area to confront the virus, which causes local inflammation that decreases once the patient receives the necessary treatment, and increases in some cases. The response of the immune system to its reasonable extent causes inflammation, which is a danger that may lead to the death of the patient, noting that in light of the “Covid-19” pandemic, one of the most important aspects of the epidemic’s ambiguity lies in the disparity of infections between moderate and fatal. The team explained that the evidence indicated that people with severe disease suffer from lung tissue damage caused by increased cytokine secretion more than the virus itself. ».

Some cytokines cause cell death to prevent the virus from spreading to other cells, which may lead to tissue death, while the tissues most susceptible to damage for patients with the “Covid-19” virus are in the lungs, where the minute air sacs in the lungs are filled with fluid, causing pneumonia and a lack of blood. Oxygen levels in the blood, which leads to the patient's respiratory distress syndrome and failure in the functions of some organs, and thus the death of the patient.

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