A study by French researchers shows that the deficiency in the blood of a protein normally produced by the immune system ” could be the mark of the serious forms of Covid-19 “, A result that could help identify patients at risk.
« Deficiency of type 1 interferons in the blood could be a signature of severe forms of Covid-19 “Concludes this study published this week in the American journal Science. Interferons are proteins of the cytokine family produced in particular by cells of the immune system in response to the presence of an infection.
About 5% of people with Covid-19 progress to a severe or critical form, with severe pneumonia turning into acute respiratory distress syndrome, occurring often 9 to 12 days after the onset of first mild to moderate symptoms.
Researchers believe this worsening is caused by a sharp increase in cytokines, which causes a runaway of the ” inflammatory response Of the organism. But doctors cannot say precisely which patients will develop this serious form of the disease, beyond the risk factors observed (diabetes, obesity, advanced age, etc.).
Analysis of 50 patients with Covid-19
Now it is ” an essential question (…) to improve the individual care and prognosis of these patients “, Observed Thursday in a press release Inserm, the University of Paris, the Imagine Institute, Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris (AP-HP) and the Institut Pasteur.
The study authors, from these organizations, performed analyzes on 50 patients with Covid-19, with different degrees of severity.
It turns out that in critically ill patients ” the production and activity of type 1 interferons are greatly reduced ” They also present ” a persistent viral load in the blood, testifying to the poor control of viral replication by the immune system of patients and leading to the racing of an ineffective and pathological inflammatory response ».
The study also reveals that ” low levels of type 1 interferons in plasma precede patients’ clinical worsening and transfer to intensive care ” Therefore, type 1 interferon deficiency ” could be a signature of severe forms of Covid-19 and could identify a high-risk population ».
In addition, these results ” underline the interest of therapeutic approaches associating the early administration of interferons with an adapted anti-inflammatory therapy (…) in patients preventing a severe form “, Conclude the authors.
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