The COVID-19 Effect on the Immune System and Mitochondrial Dynamics in Diabetes, Obesity, and Dementia

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease, originated in Wuhan City, China. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its biology is still poorly understood. Currently, there are no vaccines and drugs/or agents that can reduce severity of this new disease. Recent data suggest that patients with age-related comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and dementia are highly susceptible to severe respiratory illness due to coronavirus infection. Recent research also revealed that aged individuals with elevated baseline inflammation cause defects in T and B cells, leading to decreased body’s immune response to viral infection. In the current article, we discuss the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on age-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease. Our article also highlights the interaction between coronavirus and immune cells, and how COVID-19 alters mitochondrial activities in host cells. Based on new and compelling evidence, we propose that mitochondrial fission is inhibited while fusion is promoted, causing mitochondrial elongation and providing a receptive intracellular environment for viral replication in infected cells. Further research is still needed to understand the cross talk between viral replication in mitochondria and disease progression in patients with COVID-19.

<p>Favipiravir Use in COVID-19: Analysis of Suspected Adverse Drug Events Reported in the WHO Database</p>

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] At present, there is no specific drug or vaccine available for SARS-CoV-2 infection. 13 The researchers worldwide face daunting challenges of developing safe and effective vaccines and medicines for COVID-19. Over 190 vaccines are currently being tested for COVID-19, out of which 42 are being tested on humans in clinical trials.…”

Neuronal and Cerebrovascular Complications in Coronavirus Disease 2019

“…In another retrospective study on COVID-19 patients admitted to ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy, further confirmed that neurological manifestations are common observations seen with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Out of 1760 COVID-19 patients in this study, 137 displayed neurological manifestations that ranged from cerebrovascular issues to peripheral and central nervous system problems ( Rifino et al, 2020 ). In most patients, the neurological manifestations were observed after the resolution of COVID-19 symptoms ( Rifino et al, 2020 ), suggesting that some COVID-19 patients are likely to develop neurological issues in the long run.…”

“…Stroke was also observed in a significant number of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan China ( Mao et al, 2020 ). A study conducted on COVID-19 patients in Bergamo, Italy, showed that out of 137 patients with neurological symptoms, 38.7% developed cerebrovascular diseases that include ischemic/hemorrhagic strokes, transient ischemic attacks, and cerebral venous thrombosis ( Rifino et al, 2020 ). As with the other neurological manifestations, these cerebrovascular diseases displayed after the COVID-19 symptoms were resolved in most patients ( Rifino et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) has infected tens of millions, with more than one million deaths worldwide since first detected in early December 2019 in Wuhan, China (Holder and Reddy, 2020;Hu et al, 2020;Vallamkondu et al, 2020). This infection has resulted in the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 , which is primarily considered a respiratory tract disease (Holder and Reddy, 2020;Hu et al, 2020). The SARS-CoV-2 is an exceptionally infectious type of coronavirus compared to previous coronaviruses known to infect humans (Vallamkondu et al, 2020).…”

“…However, cardiorespiratory arrest is a prevalent cause of mortality in patients that are dying of COVID-19. It is thought that altered immune and inflammatory responses in the respiratory tract play a substantial role in the pathobiology of COVID-19 (Manjili et al, 2020;Merad and Martin, 2020), it is also likely the interaction of different viral proteins with vital cellular processes may contribute to the pathobiology of the COVID-19 (Gordon et al, 2020;Holder and Reddy, 2020). Recent studies focused on mapping the interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with human proteins have indicated that alterations in different cellular processes may be involved in the pathobiology of COVID-19 (Gordon et al, 2020).…”