• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.316-321
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• 2022

Since 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread rapidly, infecting millions of people worldwide. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic owing to the worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2, which created an unprecedented burden on the global healthcare system. In this context, there are increasing concerns regarding co-infections with other respiratory viruses, such as the influenza virus. In this study, clinical data of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses were compared with patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 alone. The hematology and blood biochemistry results of 178 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 , who were tested on admission, were retrospectively reviewed. In patients with SARS-CoV-2 and adenovirus co-infection, C-reactive protein levels were elevated on admission, whereas lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin clotting time, and bilirubin values were all within the normal range. Moreover, patients with SARS-CoV-2 and human bocavirus co-infection had low LDH and high bilirubin levels on admission. These findings reveal the clinical features of respiratory virus and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections and support the development of appropriate approaches for treating patients with SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory virus co-infections.

• BMB Reports
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• 제56권12호
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• pp.669-674
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• 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection leads to various clinical symptoms including anemia. Lipocalin-2 has various biological functions, including defense against bacterial infections through iron sequestration, and it serves as a biomarker for kidney injury. In a human protein array, we observed increased lipocalin-2 expression due to parental SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Calu-3 human lung cancer cell line. The secretion of lipocalin-2 was also elevated in response to parental SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants similarly induced this phenomenon. In a Calu-3 implanted mouse xenograft model, parental SARSCoV-2 and Delta variant induced lipocalin-2 expression and secretion. Additionally, the iron concentration increased in the Calu-3 tumor tissues and decreased in the serum due to infection. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 infection induces the production and secretion of lipocalin-2, potentially resulting in a decrease in iron concentration in serum. Because the concentration of iron ions in the blood is associated with anemia, this phenomenon could contribute to developing anemia in COVID-19 patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제85권1호
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• pp.80-88
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• 2022

Background: Although it is known that inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use may increase the risk of respiratory infection, its influence on the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between ICS use and the positivity of SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Methods: Nationwide data of 44,968 individuals with chronic respiratory diseases tested for SARS-CoV-2 until May 15, 2021 were obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea. The positivity of SARS-CoV-2 infection was retrospectively analysed according to the prescription, type, and dose of ICS taken one year before SARS-CoV-2 test. Results: Among 44,968 individuals tested, 931 (2.1%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. A total of 7,019 patients (15.6%) were prescribed ICS one year prior to being tested for SARS-CoV-2. Low, medium, and high doses of ICS were prescribed in 7.5%, 1.6%, and 6.5% of total cases, respectively. Among types of ICS, budesonide, fluticasone, beclomethasone, and ciclesonide were prescribed in 3.7%, 8.9%, 2.3%, and 0.6% of total cases, respectively. A multivariate analysis showed no significant increase in infection with ICS use (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.03). Moreover, there were no associations between the positivity of infection and the dose or type of ICS prescribed. Conclusion: Prior ICS use did not increase the positivity for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, different doses or types of ICS did not affect this positivity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.1073-1085
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• 2022

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has continued for over 2 years, following the outbreak of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) in 2019. It has resulted in enormous casualties and severe economic crises. The rapid development of vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 has helped slow the spread. In the meantime, various mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 have emerged to evade current vaccines and therapeutics. A better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is a prerequisite for developing efficient, advanced vaccines and therapeutics. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a tremendous amount of research has been conducted to unveil SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, from clinical observations to biochemical analysis at the molecular level upon viral infection. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 propagation and pathogenesis, with an update on recent advances.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.12.1-12.17
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• 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population in late 2019, it has spread on an unprecedented scale worldwide leading to the first coronavirus pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infection results in a wide range of clinical manifestations from asymptomatic to fatal cases. Although intensive research has been undertaken to increase understanding of the complex biology of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the detailed mechanisms underpinning the severe pathogenesis and interactions between the virus and the host immune response are not well understood. Thus, the development of appropriate animal models that recapitulate human clinical manifestations and immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 is crucial. Although many animal models are currently available for the study of SARS-CoV-2 infection, each has distinct advantages and disadvantages, and some models show variable results between and within species. Thus, we aim to discuss the different animal models, including mice, hamsters, ferrets, and non-human primates, employed for SARS-CoV-2 infection studies and outline their individual strengths and limitations for use in studies aimed at increasing understanding of coronavirus pathogenesis. Moreover, a significant advantage of these animal models is that they can be tailored, providing unique options specific to the scientific goals of each researcher.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.273-281
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• 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Signaling pathways that are essential for virus production have potential as therapeutic targets against COVID-19. In this study, we investigated cellular responses in two cell lines, Vero and Calu-3, upon SARS-CoV-2 infection and evaluated the effects of pathway-specific inhibitors on virus production. SARS-CoV-2 infection induced dephosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3, high virus production, and apoptosis in Vero cells. However, in Calu-3 cells, SARS-CoV-2 infection induced long-lasting phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3, low virus production, and no prominent apoptosis. Inhibitors that target STAT3 phosphorylation and dimerization reduced SARS-CoV-2 production in Calu-3 cells, but not in Vero cells. These results suggest a necessity to evaluate cellular consequences upon SARS-CoV-2 infection using various model cell lines to find out more appropriate cells recapitulating relevant responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.199-207
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• 2023

Post-COVID-19 시대에 다가올 전염병의 위협에 대비하기 위해 인간, 동물, 환경의 건강이 하나라는 One-health 개념에 기반한 연구가 필수적이다. 현재 인간의 SARS-CoV-2의 높은 감염률과 바이러스 부하로 인해 종을 뛰어넘는 감염이 확인되고 있다. 대표적으로 사람에서 밍크로의 전파 가능성이 확인되었고, 밀접 접촉 중에 사람에서 고양이로 전파가 가능할 것으로 추정되고 있다. 현재까지의 자료를 통해 가축류, 가금류에서의 감염 가능성이 낮은 것으로 보여지나 새로운 변이로 인해 감염이 확립된다면 인간의 식량 안보, 경제, 무역 등 다양한 분야에 파급 효과가 클 것으로 예측된다. 또한 SARS-CoV-2의 풍토화 전망과 반려동물로의 접근성이 높다는 점 등이 우려되는 상황이다. 바이러스의 진화는 동물 숙주에서 발생할 가능성이 높고, 다른 종에서 SARS-CoV-2가 확립되면 인간 집단에 바이러스가 다시 출현할 수 있는 중간 숙주 역할을 할 수도 있기 때문이다. SARS-CoV-2의 동물 감염에 대한 연구 데이터를 지속적으로 축적하여 빠른 대응이 필요하다고 생각된다. 또한 동물 감염에 대한 연구는 SARS-CoV-2 백신 및 치료제 연구에 사용되는 동물 모델의 개발 등을 포함한 다방면에서 중요하다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 SARS-CoV-2의 동물 감염에 대해 역학 검토 및 대응 전략을 One-health 관점에서 접근하여 분석하였다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권12호
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• pp.1843-1853
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• 2020

COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has spread globally and caused serious social and economic problems. The WHO has declared this outbreak a pandemic. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs that prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Drugs already approved for clinical use would be ideal candidates for rapid development as COVID-19 treatments. In this work, we screened 1,473 FDA-approved drugs to identify inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection using cell-based assays. The antiviral activity of each compound was measured based on the immunofluorescent staining of infected cells using anti-dsRNA antibody. Twenty-nine drugs among those tested showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. We report this new list of inhibitors to quickly provide basic information for consideration in developing potential therapies.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.422-431
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• 2022

Purpose: At the beginning of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, physicians paid close attention to children with chronic diseases to prevent transmission or a severe course of infection. We aimed to measure the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody levels in children with chronic gastrointestinal and liver diseases to analyze the risk factors for infection and its interaction with their primary disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases (n=141) and in healthy children (n=48) between January and February 2021. Results: During the pandemic, 10 patients (7%) and 1 child (2%) had confirmed COVID-19 infection (p=0.2). The SARS-CoV-2 antibody test was positive in 36 patients (25.5%) and 11 children (22.9%) (p=0.7). SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity was found in 20.4%, 26.6%, 33.3%, and 33.3% of patients with chronic liver diseases, chronic gastrointestinal tract diseases, cystic fibrosis, and liver transplantation recipients, respectively (p>0.05, patients vs. healthy children). Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity were COVID-19-related symptoms (47.2% vs. 14.2%, p=0.00004) and close contact with SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction-positive patients (69.4% vs. 9%, p<0.00001). The use, number, and type of immunosuppressants and primary diagnosis were not associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity. The frequency of disease activation/flare was not significant in patients with (8.3%) or without (14.2%) antibody positivity (p=0.35). Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children with chronic gastrointestinal and liver diseases are similar to that in healthy children. Close follow-up is important to understand the long-term effects of past COVID-19 infection in these children.

• BMB Reports
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• 제54권8호
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• pp.425-430
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• 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may increase the risk of adverse outcomes in lung cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of mucin 1 (MUC1) after SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lung epithelial cancer cell line Calu-3. MUC1 is a major constituent of the mucus layer in the respiratory tract and contributes to pathogen defense. SARS-CoV-2 infection induced MUC1 C-terminal subunit (MUC1-C) expression in a STAT3 activation-dependent manner. Inhibition of MUC1-C signaling increased apoptosis-related protein levels and reduced proliferation-related protein levels; however, SARS-CoV-2 replication was not affected. Together, these results suggest that increased MUC1-C expression in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection may trigger the growth of lung cancer cells, and COVID-19 may be a risk factor for lung cancer patients.