The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient
The human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 that emerged in late 2019 causes a respiratory tract infection and has currently resulted in more than 627 million confirmed cases and over 6.58 million deaths worldwide up to October 2022. The highest death rate caused by COVID-19 is in older people, esp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/23/14898 |
| _version_ | 1797463091367116800 |
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| author | Giovanna Traina |
| author_facet | Giovanna Traina |
| author_sort | Giovanna Traina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 that emerged in late 2019 causes a respiratory tract infection and has currently resulted in more than 627 million confirmed cases and over 6.58 million deaths worldwide up to October 2022. The highest death rate caused by COVID-19 is in older people, especially those with comorbidities. This evidence presents a challenge for biomedical research on aging and also identifies some key players in inflammation, including mast cells and platelets, which could represent important markers and, at the same time, unconventional therapeutic targets. Studies have shown a decrease in the diversity of gut microbiota composition in the elderly, particularly a reduced abundance of butyrate-producing species, and COVID-19 patients manifest faecal microbiome alterations, with an increase in opportunistic pathogens and a depletion of commensal beneficial microorganisms. The main purpose of this narrative review is to highlight how an altered condition of the gut microbiota, especially in the elderly, could be an important factor and have a strong impact in the lung homeostasis and COVID-19 phenomenon, jointly to the activation of mast cells and platelets, and also affect the outcomes of the pathology. Therefore, a targeted and careful control of the intestinal microbiota could represent a complementary intervention to be implemented for the management and the challenge against COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:45:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a49316bdb3d34c4688201c4c180d4355 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:45:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-a49316bdb3d34c4688201c4c180d43552023-11-24T11:09:43ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672022-11-0123231489810.3390/ijms232314898The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly PatientGiovanna Traina0Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Romana, 06126 Perugia, ItalyThe human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 that emerged in late 2019 causes a respiratory tract infection and has currently resulted in more than 627 million confirmed cases and over 6.58 million deaths worldwide up to October 2022. The highest death rate caused by COVID-19 is in older people, especially those with comorbidities. This evidence presents a challenge for biomedical research on aging and also identifies some key players in inflammation, including mast cells and platelets, which could represent important markers and, at the same time, unconventional therapeutic targets. Studies have shown a decrease in the diversity of gut microbiota composition in the elderly, particularly a reduced abundance of butyrate-producing species, and COVID-19 patients manifest faecal microbiome alterations, with an increase in opportunistic pathogens and a depletion of commensal beneficial microorganisms. The main purpose of this narrative review is to highlight how an altered condition of the gut microbiota, especially in the elderly, could be an important factor and have a strong impact in the lung homeostasis and COVID-19 phenomenon, jointly to the activation of mast cells and platelets, and also affect the outcomes of the pathology. Therefore, a targeted and careful control of the intestinal microbiota could represent a complementary intervention to be implemented for the management and the challenge against COVID-19.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/23/14898SARS-CoV-2inflammationintestinal microbiotaimmune protectionmast cellsplatelets |
| spellingShingle | Giovanna Traina The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient International Journal of Molecular Sciences SARS-CoV-2 inflammation intestinal microbiota immune protection mast cells platelets |
| title | The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient |
| title_full | The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient |
| title_fullStr | The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient |
| title_short | The Connection between Gut and Lung Microbiota, Mast Cells, Platelets and SARS-CoV-2 in the Elderly Patient |
| title_sort | connection between gut and lung microbiota mast cells platelets and sars cov 2 in the elderly patient |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 inflammation intestinal microbiota immune protection mast cells platelets |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/23/14898 |
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