Background The observation of patients hospitalized for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led us to note a lower prevalence of patients affected by chronic respiratory disease, in particular asthmatic patients, compared to the general population. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the possible protective role of corticosteroid therapy in patients with chronic lung disease, regarding the risk of contracting severe COVID-19. Main body SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors to enter the cells. Considering the high number of these receptors in patients affected by asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the evidence that these patients do not have a high risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 needs further study to understand what the possible protective “factors” are in these patients. In particular, the finding in some studies of reduced coronavirus replication in cell lines treated with steroids, molecules commonly used for treating chronic lung diseases, needs further attention. Short conclusion The hypothesis that corticosteroids, commonly used in treating airways diseases, might modify the severity of SARS-CoV-2 disease has become a key point and a possible predictive factor of a positive outcome of COVID-19 in patients treated everyday with these molecules.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Asthma, Corticosteroids, Hospitalization, COPD, pulmonary diseases, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, ACE2, Diseases, severe COVID-19, severity, Lung disease, risk, outcome, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, Steroids, airway, Prevalence, cells, Patient, receptor, General population, patients, Protective, pulmonary disease, Evidence, Hypothesis, Coronavirus replication, high risk, Predictive, chronic lung diseases, observation, SARS-CoV-2 disease, protective role, cell line, positive, chronic respiratory disease, corticosteroid therapy, Asthmatic patients, affected, evaluate, reduced, treated, modify, chronic obstructive, COVID-19 in patient, patients hospitalized, 【제목키워드】 Patient, protective role, corticosteroid therapy,