Abstract
We are currently in the midst of a pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, that has shaken the entire social and economic fabric of society. Within less than a year it spread across the entire globe and has spared no country, society, race or age group. Even several world leaders have been infected. While we have made great progress towards developing effective vaccines, to date we do not have any effective anti-viral agents. This desperate situation has called for desperate measures. For example, hydroxychloroquine was initially used for treating the infection based on minimal in vitro data, resulting in world-wide shortages of the drug, only for subsequent clinical trials to show that it was ineffective in treating the infection.
Highlights
Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
They were classified as asymptomatic, presymptomatic, mild, moderate or severe. 24/30 patients were males. They determined the expression of the envelope protein of an endogenous retrovirus family W (HERV-W), in blood leukocytes and compared it to other immune markers and the clinical status of the individuals [1]
The expression of HERV-W envelope protein has been previously implicated in certain autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and type 1 diabetes
Summary
It has become clear that in the early phases of the infection in hospitalized patients, anti-inflammatory measures such as the use of corticosteroids can be helpful. The current study by Balestrieri et al in EBioMedicine, studied 30 hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 with a wide range of severity of illnesses. They determined the expression of the envelope protein of an endogenous retrovirus family W (HERV-W), in blood leukocytes and compared it to other immune markers and the clinical status of the individuals [1].
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