A Multicenter Consensus: A Role of Furin in the Endothelial Tropism in Obese Patients with COVID-19 Infection

Overview

Journal Obes Med

Date 2020 Aug 25

PMID 32835124

Citations 15

Authors

Antoine Fakhry AbdelMassih

Jianping Ye

Aya Kamel

Fady Mishriky

Habiba-Allah Ismail

Heba Amin Ragab

Layla El Qadi

Lauris Malak

Mariam Abdu

Miral El-Husseiny

Mirette Ashraf

Nada Hafez

Nada Alshehry

Nadine El-Husseiny

Nora AbdelRaouf

Noura Shebl

Nouran Hafez

Nourhan Youssef

Peter Afdal

Rafeef Hozaien

Rahma Menshawey

Rana Saeed

Raghda Fouda

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Furin, a cleavage enzyme, is increasingly recognized in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Its cleavage action is an essential activation step for the endothelial pathogenicity of several viruses including SARS-CoV-2. This Furin-mediated endothelial tropism seems to underlie the multi-organ system involvement of COVID-19; which is a feature that was not recognized in the older versions of coronaviridae. Obese and diabetic patients, males, and the elderly, have increased serum levels of Furin, with its increased cellular activity; this might explain why these subgroups are at an increased risk of COVID-19 related complications and deaths. In contrast, smoking decreases cellular levels of Furin, this finding may be at the origin of the decreased severity of COVID-19 in smokers. Chinese herbal derived luteolin is suggested to be putative Furin inhibitor, with previous success against Dengue Fever. Additionally, Furin intracellular levels are largely dependent on concentration of intracellular ions, notably sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Consequently, the use of ion channel inhibitors, such as Calcium Channel blockers or Potassium Channel blockers, can prevent cellular transfection early in the course of the illness. Nicotine patches and Colchicine have also been suggested as potential therapies due to Furin mediated inhibition of COVID-19.

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