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Transferrin identified as potential contributor to COVID-19 severity

Date:
August 3, 2020
Source:
University of Kent
Summary:
Researchers have identified that a glycoprotein known as transferrin may critically contribute to severe forms of COVID-19.
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The University of Kent's School of Biosciences and the Institute of Medical Virology at Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, have identified that a glycoprotein known as transferrin may critically contribute to severe forms of COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. It is currently not known why some individuals develop only mild or no symptoms when infected, whilst others experience severe, life-threatening forms of the disease. However, it is known that the risk of COVID-19 becoming severe increases with age and is higher in males than in females. Many severe COVID-19 cases are characterised by increased blood clotting and thrombosis formation.

The team combined existing data on gene expression in humans and infected cells to search for molecules involved in blood coagulation that differ between females and males, change with age, and are regulated in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Out of more than 200 candidate factors, researchers identified a glycoprotein called transferrin to be a procoagulant (a cause of blood clotting) that increases with age, is higher in males than in females, and is higher in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. Hence, transferrin may have potential as a biomarker for the early identification of COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe disease.

Katie-May McLaughlin, the first author of the study said: "It is very exciting to be involved in such an important study that may improve therapies for COVID-19 in its most severe form."


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Kent. Original written by Sam Wood. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Katie-May McLaughlin, Marco Bechtel, Denisa Bojkova, Christian Münch, Sandra Ciesek, Mark N. Wass, Martin Michaelis, Jindrich Cinatl. COVID-19-Related Coagulopathy -- Is Transferrin a Missing Link? Diagnostics, 2020; 10 (8): 539 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10080539

Cite This Page:

University of Kent. "Transferrin identified as potential contributor to COVID-19 severity." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 August 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803120139.htm>.
University of Kent. (2020, August 3). Transferrin identified as potential contributor to COVID-19 severity. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803120139.htm
University of Kent. "Transferrin identified as potential contributor to COVID-19 severity." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803120139.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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