The present COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that several characteristics render patients especially prone to developing severe COVID-19 disease, i.e., the male sex, obesity, and old age. An explanation for the observed pattern of vulnerability has been proposed which is based on the concept of low sensitivity of the TLR7-signaling pathway at the time of infection as a common denominator of vulnerable patient groups. We will discuss whether the concept of established TLR-tolerance in macrophages and dendritic cells of the obese and elderly prior to infection can explain not only the vulnerability of these two demographic groups towards development of a severe infection with SARS-CoV-2, but also the observed cytokine response in these vulnerable patients, which is skewed towards pro-inflammatory cytokines with a missing interferon signature.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, macrophages, obesity, TLR7, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, age, TLR-tolerance, MAFB, miR-146a, 【초록키워드】 Macrophage, Severe infection, COVID-19 pandemic, Infection, interferon, sensitivity, Characteristics, Patient, pathway, dendritic cell, severe COVID-19 disease, Male sex, cytokine response, patient groups, obese, pro-inflammatory cytokine, vulnerable patients, explain, demographic group, skewed, 【제목키워드】 Patient, explain,