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Patna Times Now (Índia)

Why Covid infection in some causes fatal inflammation, study finds (52 notícias)

Publicado em 24 de novembro de 2022

Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil have found that severe COVID-19 is associated with an imbalance in an important immune system signalling pathway.

The researchers detected "dysregulation", or a dysfunctional regulation, of the immune system mediated by adenosine triphosphate (ATP), one of the main sources of energy for cellular processes.

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Severe COVID-19 patients had higher levels of ATP in their blood and lower levels of adenosine, which should increase when ATP is metabolised for energy production, the study said.

"The immune system comprises several signalling pathways that provide alerts in response to invasion by a pathogen, for example. One involves ATP, which triggers the release of inflammatory substances in defense cells to attack the invader," said study author Maria Notomi Sato.

"The immune system also has control mechanisms to avoid excessive inflammation, but when this error in ATP metabolisation occurs, it results in a huge imbalance and systemic dysfunctions in the immune response," said Sato.

The increase in unmetabolised ATP, according to the study, produces a pro-inflammatory state and triggers a potentially fatal systemic inflammation known as a cytokine storm.

"The study pointed to an imbalance in the signalling system and a dysfunction in the regulation of these components, as one more factor at the systemic level that attacks the organs of severe COVID-19 patients," Sato said.

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ATP is constantly produced by cells and is broken down in the extracellular environment by enzymes called ectonucleotidases.