Transferrin identified as potential contributor to COVID-19 severity


Date:
August 3, 2020
Source:
University of Kent
Summary:
Researchers have identified that a glycoprotein known as transferrin
may critically contribute to severe forms of COVID-19.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The University of Kent's School of Biosciences and the Institute of
Medical Virology at Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, have identified
that a glycoprotein known as transferrin may critically contribute to
severe forms of COVID-19.


========================================================================== SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It is currently
not known why some individuals develop only mild or no symptoms when
infected, whilst others experience severe, life-threatening forms of
the disease. However, it is known that the risk of COVID-19 becoming
severe increases with age and is higher in males than in females. Many
severe COVID-19 cases are characterised by increased blood clotting and thrombosis formation.

The team combined existing data on gene expression in humans and infected
cells to search for molecules involved in blood coagulation that differ
between females and males, change with age, and are regulated in response
to SARS-CoV- 2 infection.

Out of more than 200 candidate factors, researchers identified a
glycoprotein called transferrin to be a procoagulant (a cause of blood clotting) that increases with age, is higher in males than in females,
and is higher in SARS- CoV-2-infected cells. Hence, transferrin may
have potential as a biomarker for the early identification of COVID-19
patients at high risk of severe disease.

Katie-May McLaughlin, the first author of the study said: "It is very
exciting to be involved in such an important study that may improve
therapies for COVID- 19 in its most severe form."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Kent. Original written
by Sam Wood. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Katie-May McLaughlin, Marco Bechtel, Denisa Bojkova, Christian
Mu"nch,
Sandra Ciesek, Mark N. Wass, Martin Michaelis, Jindrich
Cinatl. COVID-19- Related Coagulopathy -- Is Transferrin
a Missing Link? Diagnostics, 2020; 10 (8): 539 DOI:
10.3390/diagnostics10080539 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803120139.htm

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