Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Author Spotlight: Improved Method for Production and Purification of Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors
09:12

Author Spotlight: Improved Method for Production and Purification of Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors

Published on: April 5, 2024

3.6K

Low-molecular-weight heparin use in coronavirus disease 2019 is associated with curtailed viral persistence: a

David Pereyra1,2, Stefan Heber3, Waltraud C Schrottmaier1

  • 1Department of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Cardiovascular Research
|October 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) improved survival in hospitalized COVID-19 patients by reducing cell death and viral persistence. This anticoagulation therapy shows benefits beyond mere hemostasis, encouraging its use.

Area of Science:

  • Internal Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Hospitalized COVID-19 patients often develop coagulopathy.
  • Anticoagulation's role in COVID-19 survival is not fully understood.
  • Mechanisms of improved outcomes with anticoagulation require elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of anticoagulation, specifically LMWH, on COVID-19 patient outcomes.
  • To explore LMWH's impact on COVID-19-associated coagulopathy (CAC), thromboinflammation, cell death, and viral persistence.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 586 hospitalized COVID-19 patients from Austria.
  • Evaluation of LMWH and non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulant (NOAC) use.
  • Analysis of plasma biomarkers for thromboinflammation (H3Cit-DNA) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in 106 patients.

Main Results:

  • LMWH use was linked to improved survival (HR=0.561).
  • Anticoagulation reduced cell-free DNA levels and viral persistence by approximately 4 days.
  • No significant attenuation of D-dimer or thromboinflammation markers was observed with LMWH or NOACs.

Conclusions:

  • LMWH is associated with reduced mortality, improved cell death markers, and shorter viral persistence in COVID-19 patients.
  • Beneficial effects of LMWH may extend beyond hemostasis.
  • LMWH is recommended for COVID-19 patients without contraindications.
Abstract

Keywords:
AnticoagulationCOVID-19-associated coagulopathyLow-molecular-weight heparinSARS-CoV-2 viral persistenceThromboinflammation

More Related Videos

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds09:29

Early Viral Entry Assays for the Identification and Evaluation of Antiviral Compounds

Published on: October 29, 2015

30.4K
Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings06:39

Through-the-Wall Blood Sampling Method to Minimize Sleep Disruption in Clinical Settings

Published on: June 13, 2025

177

Related Concept Videos

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
1.1K
Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants01:18

Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
1.5K
Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions01:26

Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Food and Drug–Viral Interactions

A drug interaction occurs when the concurrent use of another drug, food, or an external substance alters the pharmacological activity of a drug. This interaction can modify the action of the original drug, affecting its effectiveness and safety.Drug–food interactions are significant as they impact drug absorption, metabolism, and excretion. For example, grapefruit juice is a well-known disruptor of drug metabolism. It inhibits the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme, crucial for the metabolism of...
23
Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...
215
Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies01:20

Venous Thrombosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies

The key difference between Superficial Vein Thrombosis (SVT) and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) lies in their location and severity.Clinical ManifestationsSVT typically presents with localized pain, tenderness, and redness along the course of a superficial vein, often accompanied by a palpable, cord-like structure under the skin. This condition is usually less dangerous than DVT but can be uncomfortable and may lead to complications such as cellulitis or, rarely, a clot extension into the deep...
68
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs01:05

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs

A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...
16.8K