The Activin/FLRG Pathway Associates with Poor COVID-19 Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients.

ABSTRACT: A subset of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, particularly the aged and those with comorbidities, develop the most severe form of the disease, characterized by acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), coincident with experiencing a "cytokine storm." Here, we demonstrate that cytokines which activate the NF-κB pathway can induce activin A. Patients with elevated activin A, activin B, and FLRG at hospital admission were associated with the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, including the requirement for mechanical ventilation, and all-cause mortality. A prior study showed that activin A could decrease viral load, which indicated there might be a risk to giving COVID-19 patients an inhibitor of activin. To evaluate this, the role for activin A was examined in a hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infe

SUBMITTER: McAleavy M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8773081 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature