Molecular immune pathogenesis and diagnosis of COVID-19

Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis
5 March 2020

Xiaowei Li, Manman Geng, Yizhao Peng, Liesu Meng, Shemin Lu

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a kind of viral pneumonia with an unusual outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has been marked as the third introduction of a highly pathogenic coronavirus into the human population after the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the twenty-first century. In this minireview, we provide a brief introduction of the general features of SARS-CoV-2 and discuss current knowledge of molecular immune pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 on the base of the present understanding of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections, which may be helpful in offering novel insights and potential therapeutic targets for combating the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords

Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Pathogenesis

The epidemiology and pathogenesis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

Journal of Autoimmunity
Available online 26 February 2020, 102433

Hussin A. Rothan, and Siddappa N. Byrareddy

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-COV2 and represents the causative agent of a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. Based on the large number of infected people that were exposed to the wet animal market in Wuhan City, China, it is suggested that this is likely the zoonotic origin of COVID-19. Person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 infection led to the isolation of patients that were subsequently administered a variety of treatments. Extensive measures to reduce person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 have been implemented to control the current outbreak. Special attention and efforts to protect or reduce transmission should be applied in susceptible populations including children, health care providers, and elderly people. In this review, we highlights the symptoms, epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, phylogenetic analysis and future directions to control the spread of this fatal disease.

Keywords

Coronavirus, COVID-19, Wuhan city, Pneumonia, Pathogenesis

An immunosuppressed Syrian golden hamster model for SARS-CoV infection

Virology
Volume 380, Issue 2, 25 October 2008, Pages 312-321

Scott R. Schaecher, Jennifer Stabenow, Christina Oberle, Jill Schriewer, R. Mark Buller, John E. Sagartz, Andrew Pekosz.

Abstract

Several small animal models have been developed for the study of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) replication and pathogenesis. Syrian golden hamsters are among the best small animal models, though little clinical illness and no mortality are observed after virus infection. Cyclophosphamide was used to immunosuppress hamsters leading to a prolonged disease course and higher mortality after SARS-CoV infection. In addition, there was a significant weight loss, expanded tissue tropism, and increased viral pathology in the lung, heart, kidney, and nasal turbinate tissues. Infection with recombinant SARS-CoV viruses bearing disruptions in the gene 7 coding region showed no significant change in replication kinetics, tissue tropism, morbidity, or mortality suggesting that the ORF7a (7a) and ORF7b (7b) proteins are not required for virus replication in immunosuppressed hamsters. This modified hamster model may provide a useful tool for SARS-CoV pathogenesis studies, evaluation of antiviral therapy, and analysis of additional SARS-CoV mutants.

Keywords

SARS-CoV, Coronavirus, Cyclophosphamide, ORF7a, ORF7b, Hamster, Accessory gene, Pathogenesis