Obesity, a major risk factor for immunity and severe outcomes of COVID-19.

Mohammad Tohidul Amin,Fahad Hussain,Mohammad Salim Hossain,Dipty Rani Bhowmik,Kaniz Fatema,Sayema Arefin

doi:10.1042/bsr20210979

Abstract

An influenza-like virus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for COVID-19 disease and spread worldwide within a short time. COVID-19 has now become a significant concern for public health. Obesity is highly prevalent worldwide and is considered a risk factor for impairing the adaptive immune system. Although diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and renal failure are considered the risk factors for COVID-19, obesity is not yet well-considered. The present study approaches establishing a systemic association between the prevalence of obesity and its impact on immunity concerning the severe outcomes of COVID-19 utilizing existing knowledge. Overall study outcomes documented the worldwide prevalence of obesity, its effects on immunity, and a possible underlying mechanism covering obesity-related risk pathways for the severe outcomes of COVID-19. Overall understanding from the present study is that being an immune system impairing factor, the role of obesity in the severe outcomes of COVID-19 is worthy.

Highlights

Pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), first identified in Wuhan, China, is responsible for COVID-19 [1,2]
The genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 was first done on 7 January 2020, and it has a specific difference in structure than previously identified pandemic virus SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV), though they are closely related [4]
Histology of the postmortem myocardium demonstrated rapidly progressive myocarditis with inflammatory mononuclear infiltrates in the myocardial tissue [139]. These findings suggest a correlation between obesity and COVID-19-mediated acute cardiac injury and related severe outcomes

Summary

Introduction

Pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), first identified in Wuhan, China, is responsible for COVID-19 [1,2]. We presumed that obesity-induced ACE-2 overexpression, as a functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 invasion, may play a role in acute respiratory failure progression can be a factor in increasing COVID-19 vulnerability. In another way, obesity alters the immune function causing an imbalanced release of inflammatory cytokines that weaken the host defense against influenza type virus [182,183,184]. Chronic inflammatory state due to obesity is the responsible factor for the imbalanced release of proinflammatory cytokines, inhibition of macrophage migration and activation, impair the formation of neutralizing antibody and memory T cells that suppress the immune system activation, and host defense against SARS-CoV-2 [126,127,128]. Obesity enhances thrombosis and venous thromboembolism that open the pathway of cardiovascular disturbance related to COVID-19 risk factors

Conclusion

Findings

Worldometer