Sartorisu-Sowmya eBook - 22

DECIPHERING THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO VIRAL INFECTION

"Cumulatively, these data support the hypothesis that
COVID-19 associated coagulopathy probably contributes to
the underlying pulmonary pathogenesis." But critically, the
investigators added, "despite the evidence of progressive
COVID-19 coagulopathy over time, none of our cohort
maintained on prophylactic LMWH developed systemic DIC." In
the rare cases that DIC did develop, it tended to be restricted to
late-stage disease.
The investigators concluded that diffuse bilateral pulmonary
inflammation observed in COVID-19 is associated with a
novel pulmonary-specific vasculopathy, which is distinct from
DIC, and which they've termed "pulmonary intravascular
coagulopathy (PIC)."
"Understanding how these micro-clots are being formed
within the lung is critical so that we can develop more
effective treatments for our patients, particularly those in
high-risk groups," O'Donnell commented. "Further studies will
be required to investigate whether different blood thinning
treatments may have a role in selected high-risk patients in

22 | GENengnews.com

order to reduce the risk of clot formation."
The authors suggest that larger, controlled studies will be
needed to determine whether more intensive anticoagulation
and/or targeted anti-inflammatory therapies might help
reduce PIC in patients with severe COVID-19. The findings may
also be relevant to growing evidence that some ethnicities
are more likely to develop serious COVID-19 than others.
"Given that thrombotic risk is significantly impacted by race,
coupled with the accumulating evidence that coagulopathy
is important in COVID-19 pathogenesis, our findings raise
the intriguing possibility that pulmonary vasculopathy may
contribute to the unexplained differences that are beginning
to emerge highlighting racial susceptibility to COVID-19
mortality," they concluded.
O'Donnell led the cross-disciplinary study, with joint first
authors Helen Fogarty, MD, and Liam Townsend, MD, together
with consultants from multiple specialties within St. James's
Hospital and researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and
Health Sciences and Trinity College Dublin. n
http://www.GENengnews.com
Sartorisu-Sowmya eBook

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sartorisu-Sowmya eBook
