Researchers have found that patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) infection have higher blood levels of neutrophil extracellular traps, also called NETs.
According to the study, Neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs) are extracellular webs of chromatin, microbicidal proteins, and oxidantenzymes that are released by neutrophils to contain infections and pathogens.
“However, when not properly regulated, NETs have thepotential to propagate inflammation and microvascular thrombosis — including inthe lungs of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome,” saidfirst study author Yu (Ray) Zuo from the University of Michigan in the US.
“While elevated levels of blood neutrophils predictworse outcomes in COVID-19, the role of NETs has not been investigated,”Zuo added.
For the findings, published in the journal JCI Insight, theresearchers analysed blood samples from 50 patients with COVID-19.
The researchers found that the serum from patients withCOVID-19 have elevated levels of cell-free DNA, myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA, andcitrullinated histone H3; the latter two are highly specific markers of NETs.
According to the study, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,there is an urgent need to better understand what causes the inflammatory stormand blood clots triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection–a storm that leads torespiratory failure and a requirement for mechanical ventilation in manypatients.The research team believe NETs may be relevantto many aspects of COVID-19 research, given that thrombosis and inflammationare hallmarks of severe infection.