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Inflammation, Immunity and Immunogenetics in COVID-19: A Narrative Review
Malavika Lingeswaran1, Taru Goyal1, Raghumoy Ghosh1
1Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, Jodhpur, India.
Insights
This review explores the molecular pathogenesis of COVID-19, focusing on inflammatory changes and immune dysregulation. Identifying these factors can help predict disease severity and guide treatment for SARS-CoV-2.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, emerged as a global pandemic.
- It presents as viral pneumonia, potentially progressing to ARDS and multiorgan failure.
- Risk factors like age and comorbidities influence disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review SARS-CoV-2 characteristics.
- To highlight inflammatory and immune changes in COVID-19.
- To identify molecular predictors of disease severity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.
- Analysis of inflammatory markers and immune responses.
- Exploration of molecular mechanisms underlying disease progression.
Main Results:
- SARS-CoV-2 shares characteristics with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
- Inflammatory changes and immune dysregulation are key to COVID-19 severity.
- Molecular predictors can be identified through pathogenesis research.
Conclusions:
- Understanding molecular pathogenesis is crucial for managing COVID-19.
- Identifying at-risk individuals allows for proactive treatment strategies.
- Further research into immune responses can lead to novel therapeutic approaches.
Abstract:
The novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), that began in Wuhan Province, China was labelled as an International Public Health Emergency on January 30, 2020 and later was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on March 11, 2020. The causative agent, SARS-CoV-2 was the third coronavirus responsible for causing major disease outbreaks in human population after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) caused by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV respectively. The patients of COVID-19 present with a clinical feature resembling mild form of viral pneumonia which in certain cases progress to a severe form characterised by adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and/or multiorgan failure leading to death. The transition from mild to severe form of COVID-19 is affected by a lot of factors like age, co-morbidities etc. In the absence of an absolute cure, it is essential to explore the molecular pathogenesis of the disease to identify people at risk of developing severity so that alternative treatment modalities may be planned. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the general characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and highlight the inflammatory changes and immune dysregulation that may help in identification of molecular predictors of disease severity.
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