Antibiotics

The link between arthritis drugs and chronic COVID-19 disease is being revealed

Researchers at the University of Virginia College of Medicine have identified a possible cure for chronic respiratory symptoms after discovering an unknown cause of the condition in the lungs.

Researchers at the University of Virginia, led by Dr. Ji Sun, found that infection with Covid-19 causes radical changes in immune cells in lung tissue, causing scarring and persistent inflammation even after the initial infection has passed.

They believe this persistent infection causes chronic respiratory symptoms, such as cough and difficulty breathing, associated with chronic Covid-1

Can chronic inflammation be stopped?

The new study suggests that doctors may be able to stop this chronic inflammation by using a class of drugs, including baricitinib, previously used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, an anti-inflammatory drug that previously received emergency approval from the Federal Food and Drug Administration It is seen in Covid-1

"Our study identified the underlying cause of chronic respiratory complications of Covid by comparing both clinical samples and a related animal model," said Sun, of the University of Virginia's Carter Center for Immunology Research and Department of Infection to design "clinical studies in a rational manner, in order to reuse these FDA-approved drugs to treat chronic Covid-19 infections.

For these patients, infection with COVID-19 turns into a seemingly endless trial, with symptoms lasting weeks, months, or even years.

Symptoms of chronic COVID-1

Symptoms of chronic COPD can range from discomfort to weakness, for example respiratory symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pain and even chronic lung scarring known as interstitial lung disease.

Previous studies on chronic COVID-19 looked for answers in patients' blood, but Sun and his team wanted to see what changes occurred in the lung tissue itself, so researchers at the University of Virginia looked at cell samples collected from the lower airways of both laboratory mice and human patients.

In both cases, they found that immune cells known as macrophages and T cells had gone mad and reacted defectively and harmfully.

These cells normally help the body fight disease, but in this case, they have not stopped fighting, even after the initial infection has passed.

What conclusions did the researchers reach?

The researchers found that macrophages poured into the lungs in abnormal numbers and developed tissue scars. Meanwhile, the T cells were secreting a substance called interferon, which stimulates ongoing inflammation.

Sun and his team believe that doctors may be able to break this cycle of inflammation by using drugs already approved to treat the damaging inflammation seen in rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints.

More research will be needed, but Sun hopes the University of Virginia's new findings will lead to much-needed new treatments for patients with chronic respiratory symptoms.

Source: Medical Express