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Röckert Tjernberg A, Malmborg P, Mårild K. Coronavirus disease 2019 and gastrointestinal disorders in children. Therap Adv Gastroenterol 2023; 16:17562848231177612. [PMID: 37305380 PMCID: PMC10243097 DOI: 10.1177/17562848231177612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past 3 years, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a great impact on people all over the world. However, it has become evident that disease manifestations and severity differ across age groups. Most children have a milder disease course than adults but possibly more pronounced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Given the child's developing immune system, the impact of COVID-19 on disease development may differ compared to adults. This study reviews the potential bi-directional relationship between COVID-19 and GI diseases in children, focusing on common pediatric conditions such as functional GI disorders (FGID), celiac disease (CeD), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Children with GI diseases, in general, and CeD and IBD, in particular, do not seem to have an increased risk of severe COVID-19, including risks of hospitalization, critical care need, and death. While infections are considered candidate environmental factors in both CeD and IBD pathogenesis, and specific infectious agents are known triggers for FGID, there is still not sufficient evidence to implicate COVID-19 in the development of either of these diseases. However, given the scarcity of data and the possible latency period between environmental triggers and disease development, future investigations in this field are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Röckert Tjernberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Kalmar County Hospital, Region Kalmar County, Kalmar S-391 85, Sweden
| | - Petter Malmborg
- Sachs’ Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl Mårild
- Department of Pediatrics, Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Valentino MS, Esposito C, Colosimo S, Caprio AM, Puzone S, Guarino S, Marzuillo P, Miraglia del Giudice E, Di Sessa A. Gut microbiota and COVID-19: An intriguing pediatric perspective. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10:8076-8087. [PMID: 36159525 PMCID: PMC9403663 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i23.8076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement has been reported in approximately 50% of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is due to the pathogenic role of inflammation and the intestinal function of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and its receptor. Accumulating adult data has pointed out that gut dysbiosis might occur in these patients with a potential impact on the severity of the disease, however the role of gut microbiota in susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 disease in children is still poorly known. During the last decades, the crosstalk between gut and lung has been largely recognized resulting in the concept of “gut-lung axis” as a central player in modulating the development of several diseases. Both organs are involved in the common mucosal immune system (including bronchus-associated and gut-associated lymphoid tissues) and their homeostasis is crucial for human health. In this framework, it has been found that the role of GI dysbiosis is affecting the homeostasis of the gut-liver axis. Of note, a gut microbiome imbalance has been linked to COVID-19 severity in adult subjects, but it remains to be clarified. Based on the increased risk of inflammatory diseases in children with COVID-19, the potential correlation between gut microbiota dysfunction and COVID-19 needs to be studied in this population. We aimed to summarize the most recent evidence on this striking aspect of COVID-19 in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sole Valentino
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Claudia Esposito
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Simone Colosimo
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Angela Maria Caprio
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Simona Puzone
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Stefano Guarino
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Marzuillo
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Emanuele Miraglia del Giudice
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Anna Di Sessa
- Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80138, Italy
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