Gastrointestinal Involvement in SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into a virus that primarily results in mild or asymptomatic disease, making its transmission more challenging to control. In addition to the respiratory tract, SARS-CoV-2 also infects the digestive tract. Some gastrointestinal symptoms occur with or before respiratory symptoms in patients with COVID-19. Respiratory infections are known to cause intestinal immune impairment and gastrointestinal symptoms. When the intestine is inflamed, cytokines affect the lung immune response and inflammation through blood circulation. The gastrointestinal microbiome may be a modifiable factor in determining the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity. The development of oral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates and the maintenance of gut microbiota profiles may contribute to the early control of COVID-19 outbreaks. To this end, this review summarizes information on the gastrointestinal complications caused by SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 infection, the gastrointestinal–lung axis immune response, potential control strategies for oral vaccine candidates and maintaining intestinal microbiota homeostasis.

Pancolitis Post COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

“…Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors and transmembrane serine protease are highly expressed in gastrointestinal epithelial cells and provide a favorable route for viral entrance [ 10 ]. Gastrointestinal involvement is attributed to direct viral attack and inflammatory response secondary to the activation of inflammatory cytokines with subsequent activation of anti-inflammatory or protective cytokines [ 3 ]. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA has been encountered in the stool samples from infected patients [ 11 ] in addition to the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in tissue histology from infected individuals [ 7 ].…”

“…GIT involvement is attributed to viral direct invasion into intestinal tract cells in addition to immune host reaction [ 3 ].…”

Nutrition as Personalized Medicine against SARS-CoV-2 Infections: Clinical and Oncological Options with a Specific Female Groups Overview

“…Lately, different authors have reported in literature the possibility, more than suggestive, of a connection between COVID-19 infection and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, considering that, in COVID-19 patients with severe intestinal dysfunction, the presence of virions in fecal, oral, and gastrointestinal samples was found in a range between 2% and 36% [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. The most commonly reported intestinal symptoms related to COVID-19 could be mild as nausea and stomach discomfort or more intense such as vomiting and diarrhea [ 27 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ].…”

Aspectos fisiopatológicos envolvidos na sintomatologia da COVID-19 e suas consequências: uma revisão bibliográfica de literatura

“…Os indivíduos podem sofrer danos mais graves e menos comuns, como, por exemplo, isquemia mesentérica, pelo desenvolvimento de trombos no sistema circulatório próximo à região, ou sintomas mais leves e mais frequentes, como náuseas, vômitos, dor e distensão abdominal. Outro sintoma comumente relatado é a diarreia, decorrente do processo inflamatório e da agressão celular sofrida pelos enterócitos (Chen, et al, 2022).…”