Prof. Marvin Edeas Discovers that Transferrin is Implicated in Pathogenesis of Covid-19
Prof. Marvin Edeas, chairman of the scientific committee of ISANH, published a new article with his teammates about the biomarkers of COVID-19.
In fact, ferritin's role was largely studied, but little attention has been paid to other iron-associated markers such as transferrin. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of different iron parameters in severe COVID-19 and their relation to disease severity.
Interplay of host iron metabolism and viral intrusion: who will win the iron war?
The authors studied different iron metabolism parameters in 73 hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. They concluded that, in these patients, IL-6, CRP, as well as ferritin increase with a decrease in transferrin and iron. Therefore, reduced transferrin and iron are associated with hyperinflammation and immune state.
Contrary to what was thought before, it is the transferrin, not ferritin, that plays a strategic role in COVID-19 pathogenesis and its progression, constituting a valuable predictor of severity and progression of disease.
Finally, they suggested that the modulation of iron levels could be a potential therapeutic target in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
All our congratulations to Prof. Edeas and his team!
Read more about this study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
