2020-05-19T13: 50
2020-05-19T14: 19
https://ria.ru/20200519/1571669659.html
Scientists explained why smokers are more exposed to COVID-19
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RIA News
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Doctors examined the clinical data and found that COVID-19 is more often accompanied by lung damage in three groups of patients: men, the elderly and smokers. Then they compared the gene activity in the lungs of people of different ages and sex, as well as smokers and non-smokers.
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“We started collecting all the data that we could find,” said a press release from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, her cancer genetics specialist and study leader Jason Sheltzer. “When we analyzed it, we saw that both mice exposed to smoke in the laboratory and smokers have significant ACE2 activation. “
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The fact is that cigarette smoke stimulates the expression of the ACE2 gene, or angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, a regulatory protein, the activity of which depends on its vulnerability to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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In humans, the lungs act as one of the main production sites of ACE2. To evaluate the direct effects of smoking, researchers compared the expression of the ACE2 gene from the epithelial tissue of the lungs of those who smoked regularly and those who never smoked.
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As it turned out, smoking causes a significant increase in ACE2 expression: smokers – 30–55 percent more than non-smokers, and heavy smokers showed maximum values. At the same time, there were no signs that age or gender somehow affected the ACE2 level.
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It is also interesting that the level of ACE2 in quitters corresponded to the level of non-smokers. Therefore, the authors believe that lung changes are reversible and any smoking cessation reduces the risk of developing a serious illness.
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The main producers of ACE2 in the airways are the so-called goblet cells producing mucus. It is known that smoking increases the prevalence of such cells, since they protect the respiratory tract from irritants, but it turned out that they also increase vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2.
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In addition, the results of the study show that other viral infections, such as influenza, as well as inflammatory lung diseases, COPD and idiopathic fibrosis increase ACE2 expression.
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“Because of this, it is possible that SARS-CoV-2 triggers the activation of its own receptor, thereby creating a positive feedback loop leading to the growth of the lesion,” says Shelzer. “Our results give an idea of why smokers who develop COVID -19, usually have poor clinical results. “
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