Is diabetes a real susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 oral manifestation?

Furin, a polybasic cleavage enzyme, is increasingly recognized in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndromes like diabetes. Its cleavage action is an essential activation step for the SARS-CoV-2 attachment site at the junction of S1 and S2, the two subunits of the spike. This allows effective cleavage by furin and has a role in determining viral infectivity and host range. The increased expression of the furin enzyme in the saliva is remarkable enough to be noted as a susceptibility factor for diabetic patients.

The present study focuses on the qualitative assessment of the furin enzyme through an immunological ELISA test.

The study consisted of three groups, each of whom was a COVID-19 recovered patient (n = 20), a diabetic patient (n = 20), and a healthy patient (n = 20).

The study assessed significantly increased levels of the furin enzyme generally in diabetic patients and COVID-19 recovered patients as compared to the healthy control group.

The estimation of furin in saliva still holds the possibility of being a prognostic marker in many COVID-19 infected patients. Further evidence-based studies are required to establish the same.