SARS-CoV-2 infection and pancreatic disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 286-290
Author(s):  
Petr Dítě ◽  
Lumír Kunovský ◽  
Tomáš Kupka ◽  
Jiří Dolina ◽  
Petr Jabandžiev ◽  
...  

SARS-CoV-2 is an etiological factor in several diseases that the WHO designated covid-19. Covid-19 infection may affect the digestive tract, including the pancreas. The main/most common symptoms of covid-19 include fever (71.6%), cough (68.9%) subjective feeling of shortness of breath (71.2%). The gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. The relationship of covid-19 and pancreas affection is not clearly described. A common finding is hyperlipasemia, eventually hyperamylasemia. Both conditions are usually associated with either no or minimal histomorphological changes, i.e. changes referred to as edematous glandular infiltration. Rarely, a necrotic form was reported. Nevertheless, the mortality of patients with acute pancreatitis who were covid-19 positive was higher than in covid-19 negative individuals. The available data indicate there is a link between covid-19 infection and the pancreas presenting as an acute disorder of the gland. SARS-CoV-2 impairment of both exocrine and endocrine function of the pancreas is multifactorial. It is debatable whether the involvement of the gland is directly related to the presence of the virus or whether it is an epiphenomenon. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors, inflammatory changes (especially in pancreatic beta cells), together with high IL-18 levels, virus-induced lipotoxicity and immunological dysregulation play an important role in the induction of pancreatic damage. During the covid-19 pandemic, pancreatopathies represent a very lively topic and are being studied intensively. Keywords SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, chronic pancreatitis, pancreas, endoscopy

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. e137-e140
Author(s):  
Mosaad Abdel-Aziz ◽  
Nada M. Abdel-Aziz ◽  
Dina M. Abdel-Aziz ◽  
Noha Azab

AbstractThe clinical manifestations of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vary from mild flu-like symptoms to severe fatal pneumonia. However, children with COVID-19 may be asymptomatic or may have mild clinical symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical features of pediatric COVID-19 and to search for the factors that may mitigate the disease course. We reviewed the literature to realize the clinical features, laboratory, and radiographic data that may be diagnostic for COVID-19 among children. Also, we studied the factors that may affect the clinical course of the disease. Fever, dry cough, and fatigue are the main symptoms of pediatric COVID-19, sometimes flu-like symptoms and/or gastrointestinal symptoms may be present. Although some infected children may be asymptomatic, a recent unusual hyperinflammatory reaction with overlapping features of Kawasaki's disease and toxic shock syndrome in pediatric COVID-19 has been occasionally reported. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronvirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleic acid testing is the corner-stone method for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Lymphocyte count and other inflammatory markers are not essentially diagnostic; however, chest computed tomography is highly specific. Factors that may mitigate the severity of pediatric COVID-19 are home confinement with limited children activity, trained immunity caused by compulsory vaccination, the response of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors in children is not the same as in adults, and that children are less likely to have comorbidities. As infected children may be asymptomatic or may have only mild respiratory and/or gastrointestinal symptoms that might be missed, all children for families who have a member diagnosed with COVID-19 should be investigated.


Author(s):  
Ranjit Unnikrishnan ◽  
Anoop Misra

AbstractThe advent and rapid spread of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID19) pandemic across the world has focused attention on the relationship of commonly occurring comorbidities such as diabetes on the course and outcomes of this infection. While diabetes does not seem to be associated with an increased risk of COVID19 infection per se, it has been clearly demonstrated that the presence of hyperglycemia of any degree predisposes to worse outcomes, such as more severe respiratory involvement, ICU admissions, need for mechanical ventilation and mortality. Further, COVID19 infection has been associated with the development of new-onset hyperglycemia and diabetes, and worsening of glycemic control in pre-existing diabetes, due to direct pancreatic damage by the virus, body’s stress response to infection (including cytokine storm) and use of diabetogenic drugs such as corticosteroids in the treatment of severe COVID19. In addition, public health measures taken to flatten the pandemic curve (such as lockdowns) can also adversely impact persons with diabetes by limiting their access to clinical care, healthy diet, and opportunities to exercise. Most antidiabetic medications can continue to be used in patients with mild COVID19 but switching over to insulin is preferred in severe disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjit Unnikrishnan ◽  
Anoop Misra

AbstractThe advent and rapid spread of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID19) pandemic across the world has focused attention on the relationship of commonly occurring comorbidities such as diabetes on the course and outcomes of this infection. While diabetes does not seem to be associated with an increased risk of COVID19 infection per se, it has been clearly demonstrated that the presence of hyperglycemia of any degree predisposes to worse outcomes, such as more severe respiratory involvement, ICU admissions, need for mechanical ventilation and mortality. Further, COVID19 infection has been associated with the development of new-onset hyperglycemia and diabetes, and worsening of glycemic control in pre-existing diabetes, due to direct pancreatic damage by the virus, body’s stress response to infection (including cytokine storm) and use of diabetogenic drugs such as corticosteroids in the treatment of severe COVID19. In addition, public health measures taken to flatten the pandemic curve (such as lockdowns) can also adversely impact persons with diabetes by limiting their access to clinical care, healthy diet, and opportunities to exercise. Most antidiabetic medications can continue to be used in patients with mild COVID19 but switching over to insulin is preferred in severe disease.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 2412
Author(s):  
Shashikumar H. B. ◽  
Madhu B. S. ◽  
Motati Harshini

Background: Fibreoptic endoscopy is a highly efficient diagnostic tool, which is now increasingly being used in the diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal diseases. This study has been carried out to evaluate the distribution of various upper gastrointestinal diseases based on endoscopic findings in a tertiary care hospital in Mysore.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from endoscopic register of 1000 subjects who underwent endoscopy for various upper gastrointestinal symptoms from 1st January 2017 to 31st December 2017(one year).Results: Mean age of the study population was 50.23 years (SD-15.46). Minimum age was 12 years and maximum was 88 years. About 44.7% of the study subjects belonged to 40-60 age group.61.6% of the study subjects were males. Most common indication was pain abdomen (32.1%) followed by dysphagia (22.2%). Of the 1000 study subjects 18.6% had normal findings. Most common finding was Gastritis / Duodenitis /Gastric erosions (28%). Malignant lesions were noted among 11.1%, of which esophagus and stomach are 5.4% and 4.9% respectively.Conclusions: Endoscopic diagnosis is useful for early detection of UGI diseases and helpful for their management.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Liverani ◽  
Filippo Leonardi ◽  
Lucia Castellani ◽  
Carla Cardamone ◽  
Andrea Belluzzi

Azathioprine has been extensively used in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases. It might cause pancreatic damage in the form of either asymptomatic elevation in serum amylase/lipase or overt acute pancreatitis. Here we report the case of a 61-year-old patient with ulcerative colitis who had been treated with azathioprine for three years, achieving clinical remission. During treatment he presented an asymptomatic elevation of serum pancreatic enzymes, without any signs of pancreatitis at imaging. This evidence brought us to reassess the drug dosage, without achieving a normalization of biochemical analysis. Autoimmune pancreatitis was excluded. One year after the suspension of azathioprine, we still face persistent high levels of amylase/lipase. Normalization of enzymatic values in patients who develop intolerance to azathioprine, in the form of either asymptomatic elevation in serum amylase/lipase or overt acute pancreatitis, is usually achieved in about two months after stopping drug intake. Asymptomatic elevation in serum pancreatic enzymes in the absence of pancreatic disease is reported in the literature and defined as “Gullo’s syndrome,” but nobody of the subjects studied had been treated in the past with pancreatotoxic drugs. Might this case be defined as “benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia”?


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenio Boccalone ◽  
Veronica Maria Lanni ◽  
Valerio Massimo Magro

In 2019, a new coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), aroused the attention of the entire world. It causes an acute respiratory disease, by involving the same receptor, i.e. the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, as that for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), mainly spreads through the respiratory tract. The clinical symptoms in patients with of SARS-CoV-2 include fever, cough, dyspnea, fatigue and in a small percentage of patients also gastrointestinal symptoms have been reported...


1976 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 644-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Aso ◽  
N. Goncharov ◽  
Z. Cekan ◽  
E. Diczfalusy

ABSTRACT In an attempt to find suitable animal models to aid in the study of the reproductive processes of the human male, plasma levels of unconjugated pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, 20α-dihydroprogesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, oestrone and oestradiol were measured in 18 male baboons and 10 male rhesus monkeys and the steroid levels were compared with those previously established in normospermic, middle-aged men. Significant species differences were found with regard to the three Δ5-steroids studied; whereas the approximate relationship of pregnenolone to 17-hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone was 1:2:4 in men, the corresponding relationship was 1:5:30 in rhesus monkeys and 1:10:10 in baboons. Similar levels of 20α-dihydroprogesterone were found in the three species. On the other hand, the 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels in baboons were much lower and the levels of androstenedione lower than those found in men and in rhesus monkeys. No species difference was found with regard to circulating testosterone levels. However, both rhesus monkeys and baboons exhibited much higher levels of dihydrostestosterone than did men. Oestrone levels were higher in baboons than in men and oestradiol levels were higher in rhesus monkeys than in men and in baboons. The significant differences in circulating steroid levels suggest that further studies (including i.a. steroid analyses in testicular tissue, seminal plasma and spermatic artery and vein following both stimulation and suppression of testicular endocrine function) are required before preference can be given to any of the two species studied as a suitable animal model for the study of new fertility regulating agents.


1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1164-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
R W Stein ◽  
E B Ziff

Insulin gene transcription relies on enhancer and promoter elements which are active in pancreatic beta cells. We showed that adenovirus type 5 infection of HIT T-15 cells, a transformed hamster beta cell line, represses insulin gene transcription and mRNA levels. Using expression plasmids transiently introduced into HIT T-15 cells, we showed that adenovirus type 5 E1a transcription regulatory proteins repress insulin enhancer-promoter element activity as assayed with a surrogate xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene. We relate E1a repression of the insulin gene to other examples of repression of enhancer-dependent genes by E1a and discuss the possible relationship of this repression to insulin gene regulation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazreen Kamarus Jaman ◽  
Preeya Rehsi ◽  
Robert H. Henderson ◽  
Ulrike Löbel ◽  
Kshitij Mankad ◽  
...  

Background: SRD5A3-CDG is a rare N-glycosylation defect caused by steroid 5 alpha reductase type 3 deficiency. Its key feature is an early severe visual impairment with variable ocular anomalies often leading to diagnosis. Additional symptoms are still poorly defined. In this case study, we discuss 11 genetically confirmed cases, and report on emerging features involving other systems in addition to the eye phenotype.Methods: In total, 11 SRD5A3-CDG patients in five sets of sibships were included in the study. Data on 9 of 11 patients are as of yet unpublished. Patients’ results on biochemical and genetic investigations and on in-depth phenotyping are presented.Results: Key diagnostic features of SRD5A3-CDG are ophthalmological abnormalities with early-onset retinal dystrophy and optic nerve hypoplasia. SRD5A3-CDG is also characterized by variable neurological symptoms including intellectual disability, ataxia, and hypotonia. Furthermore, ichthyosiform skin lesions, joint laxity, and scoliosis have been observed in our cohort. We also report additional findings including dystonia, anxiety disorder, gastrointestinal symptoms, and MRI findings of small basal ganglia and mal-rotated hippocampus, whereas previous publications described dysmorphic features as a common finding in SRD5A3, which could not be confirmed in our patient cohort.Conclusion: The detailed description of the phenotype of this large cohort of patients with SRD5A3-CDG highlights that the key clinical diagnostic features of SRD5A3-CDG are an early onset form of ophthalmological problems in patients with a multisystem disorder with variable symptoms evolving over time. This should aid earlier diagnosis and confirms the need for long-time follow-up of patients.


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