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Stroke-induced changes to immune function and their relevance to increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease

Laura McCulloch1, Isobel C Mouat1, Kieron South2,3,4

  • 1Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Discovery Immunology
|April 3, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Stroke patients face higher risks of severe COVID-19 due to immune changes. This review explores how stroke and COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) interact to worsen outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates identifying vulnerable populations and understanding risk factors for severe infection.
  • Stroke patients exhibit increased susceptibility to severe COVID-19, potentially linked to stroke-induced immune dysregulation.
  • Immune responses in severe COVID-19 cases without stroke history resemble stroke-induced immune alterations, suggesting a compounding effect.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the immunological changes contributing to severe COVID-19 in stroke patients.
  • To examine how COVID-19 infection may exacerbate pre-existing stroke-related immune alterations.

Main Methods:

  • This is a review article, synthesizing existing research on the topic.
  • Literature search and analysis of studies investigating immune function in stroke patients and COVID-19 patients.

Main Results:

  • Stroke patients experience significant alterations in systemic immune function.
  • COVID-19 infection can further dysregulate the immune system, potentially worsening existing deficits in stroke patients.
  • Shared immune pathways may exist between stroke-induced immune changes and severe COVID-19 immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Stroke-induced immune alterations likely increase vulnerability to severe COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 may exacerbate these immune deficits, leading to compounded disease severity.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms and develop targeted interventions.

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