1
|
Antony MA, Patel S, Verma V, Kant R. The Role of Gut Microbiome Supplementation in COVID-19 Management. Cureus 2023; 15:e46960. [PMID: 38021562 PMCID: PMC10640765 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19, which is caused by the RNA virus, SARS-CoV-2, mainly affects the respiratory system and has a varied clinical presentation. However, several studies have shown that COVID-19 can also affect the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Patients can experience various GI symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and the virus has been detected in the stool samples of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. There have also been rare reports of COVID-19 presenting with isolated GI symptoms and lack of respiratory symptoms, and the virus has also been detected for prolonged periods in the fecal samples of COVID-19 patients. Major alterations in the gut microbiome in the form of depletion of beneficial organisms and an abundance of pathogenic organisms have been reported in the fecal samples of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Although the US FDA has approved several drugs to manage COVID-19, their efficacy remains modest. So, there is a constant ongoing effort to investigate novel treatment options for COVID-19. Health supplements like probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics have been popularly known for their various health benefits. In this review, we have summarized the current literature, which shows the potential benefit of these health supplements to mitigate and/or prevent the clinical presentation of COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mc Anto Antony
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Medical University of South Carolina, Anderson, USA
| | - Siddharth Patel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Decatur Morgan Hospital, Decatur, USA
| | - Vipin Verma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Anderson, USA
| | - Ravi Kant
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Medical University of South Carolina, Anderson, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Caramaschi S, Kapp ME, Miller SE, Eisenberg R, Johnson J, Epperly G, Maiorana A, Silvestri G, Giannico GA. Histopathological findings and clinicopathologic correlation in COVID-19: a systematic review. Mod Pathol 2021; 34:1614-1633. [PMID: 34031537 PMCID: PMC8141548 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-021-00814-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had devastating effects on global health and worldwide economy. Despite an initial reluctance to perform autopsies due to concerns for aerosolization of viral particles, a large number of autopsy studies published since May 2020 have shed light on the pathophysiology of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review summarizes the histopathologic findings and clinicopathologic correlations from autopsies and biopsies performed in patients with COVID-19. PubMed and Medline (EBSCO and Ovid) were queried from June 4, 2020 to September 30, 2020 and histopathologic data from autopsy and biopsy studies were collected based on 2009 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 58 studies reporting 662 patients were included. Demographic data, comorbidities at presentation, histopathologic findings, and virus detection strategies by organ system were collected. Diffuse alveolar damage, thromboembolism, and nonspecific shock injury in multiple organs were the main findings in this review. The pathologic findings emerging from autopsy and biopsy studies reviewed herein suggest that in addition to a direct viral effect in some organs, a unifying pathogenic mechanism for COVID-19 is ARDS with its known and characteristic inflammatory response, cytokine release, fever, inflammation, and generalized endothelial disturbance. This study supports the notion that autopsy studies are of utmost importance to our understanding of disease features and treatment effect to increase our knowledge of COVID-19 pathophysiology and contribute to more effective treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Caramaschi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia—AOU Policlinico of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Meghan E. Kapp
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sara E. Miller
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rosana Eisenberg
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Joyce Johnson
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Antonino Maiorana
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia—AOU Policlinico of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Guido Silvestri
- Emory Vaccine Center and Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Giovanna A. Giannico
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 42.5 million people globally resulting in the death of over 1.15 million subjects. It has inflicted severe public health and economic hardships across the world. In addition to acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, sepsis, and acute kidney injury, COVID-19 also causes heart failure (HF). COVID-19-induced HF is manifested via different mechanisms, including, but not limited to, (1) virus-induced infiltration of inflammatory cells, which could impair the function of the heart; (2) pro-inflammatory cytokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-1β; interleukin-6; tumor necrosis factor-α) that could cause necrosis and death of the myocardium; (3) endothelial injury coupled with micro-thrombosis which could damage the endocardium; and (4) acute respiratory distress syndrome and respiratory failure that could lead to heart failure due to severe hypoxia. It is concluded that the etiology of COVID-19-induced HF is multifactorial and mitigation of the development of HF in patients with COVID-19 will require different approaches such as social distancing, drug therapy, and the urgent development of a vaccine to eradicate the disease.
Collapse
|