inflammatory response Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation May Be the Cause of Long COVID Symptoms

AHA Publisher — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 07:00:54 +0000

World Organization via News-Medical – Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation resulting from the inflammatory response to coronavirus infection may be the cause of previously unexplained long COVID symptoms — such as fatigue, brain fog, and rashes — that occur in approximately 30% of patients after recovery from initial COVID-19 infection. The first evidence linking EBV reactivation to long COVID, as well as an analysis of long COVID prevalence, is outlined in a new long COVID study published in the journal Pathogens. “We ran EBV antibody tests on recovered COVID-19 patients, comparing EBV reactivation rates of those with long COVID symptoms to those without long COVID symptoms. The majority of those with long COVID symptoms were positive for EBV reactivation, yet only 10% of controls indicated reactivation.” Jeffrey E. Gold, Lead Study Author, World Organization The researchers began by surveying 185 randomly selected patients recovered from COVID-19 and found that 30.3% had long term symptoms consistent with long COVID after initial recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This included several patients with initially asymptomatic COVID-19 cases who later went on to develop long COVID symptoms. The researchers then found, in a subset of 68 COVID-19 patients randomly selected from those surveyed, that 66.7% of long COVID subjects versus 10% of controls were positive for EBV reactivation based on positive EBV early antigen-diffuse (EA-D) IgG or EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgM titers. The difference was significant (p < 0.001, Fisher’s exact test). “We found similar rates of EBV reactivation in those who had long COVID symptoms for months, as in those with long COVID symptoms that began just weeks after testing positive for COVID-19,” said coauthor David J. Hurley, PhD, a professor and molecular microbiologist at the University of Georgia. “This indicated to us that EBV reactivation likely occurs simultaneously or soon after COVID-19 infection.” The relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and EBV reactivation described in this study opens up new possibilities for long COVID diagnosis and treatment. The researchers indicated that it may be prudent to test patients newly positive for COVID-19 for evidence of EBV reactivation indicated by positive EBV EA-D IgG, EBV VCA IgM, or serum EBV DNA tests. If patients show signs of EBV reactivation, they can be treated early to reduce the intensity and duration of EBV replication, which may help inhibit the development of long COVID. “As evidence mounts supporting a role for EBV reactivation in the clinical manifestation of acute COVID-19, this study further implicates EBV in the development of long COVID,” said Lawrence S. Young, PhD, a virologist at the University of Warwick, and Editor-in-Chief of Pathogens. “If a direct role for EBV reactivation in long COVID is supported by further studies, this would provide opportunities to improve the rational diagnosis of this condition and to consider the therapeutic value of anti-herpesvirus agents such as ganciclovir.” To read the original article click here.

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Fried-Food Intake Can Increase Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 08:00:13 +0000

BMJ via News-Medical Net – Fried-food intake is linked to a heightened risk of major heart disease and stroke, finds a pooled analysis of the available research data, published online in the journal Heart. And the risk rises with each additional 114 g weekly serving, the analysis indicates. It’s clear that the Western diet doesn’t promote good cardiovascular health, but it’s not clear exactly what contribution fried food might make to the risks of serious heart disease and stroke, say the researchers. To shed some light on this, they trawled research databases, looking for relevant studies published up to April 2020, and found 19. They pooled the data from 17, involving 562,445 participants and 36,727 major cardiovascular ‘events’, such as a heart attack or stroke, to assess cardiovascular disease risk. And they pooled the data from six, involving 754,873 participants and 85,906 deaths over an average monitoring period of 9.5 years, to assess the potential link between fried food consumption and deaths from cardiovascular disease and from any cause. Their analysis showed that compared with the lowest category of weekly fried food consumption, the highest was associated with a 28% heightened risk of major cardiovascular events; a 22% heightened risk of coronary heart disease; and a 37% heightened risk of heart failure. These associations held true when stratified by various study and participant characteristics. What’s more, a linear association emerged between fried food consumption and major cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. These risks substantially increased by 3%, 2%, and 12%, respectively, in tandem with each additional 114 g weekly serving. Several studies included only one type of fried food, such as fried fish, potatoes, or snacks, rather than total fried food intake, which may have underestimated the associations found, suggest the researchers. No associations were found for deaths from cardiovascular disease or from any cause, but this might be because of the relatively small numbers involved, say the researchers. The design of the included studies varied considerably, added to which, they all relied on memory–factors that should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results, caution the researchers. And how exactly fried foods might influence the development of the cardiovascular disease isn’t entirely clear, they point out, but suggesting several possible explanations. Fried foods boost energy intake because of their fat content and they generate harmful trans-fatty acids from the hydrogenated vegetable oils often used to cook them. Frying also boosts the production of chemical by-products involved in the body’s inflammatory response, while foods, such as fried chicken and French fries, are usually high in added salt, and often accompanied by sugar-sweetened drinks, particularly when served in fast-food restaurants, they say. To read the original article click here.

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Why Is Obesity So Common in COVID-19 Patients?

AHA Publisher — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 07:00:39 +0000

Pennington Biomedical Research Center via Newswise – A hormone that connects the body’s metabolism and immune response system may explain why COVID-19 is so dangerous for people with obesity. “The problem for people with obesity is that their leptin levels are always high, and that can affect the response to a COVID-19 infection,” said Candida Rebello, PhD, RD, lead author of a new paper that traces the link between obesity and the virus. The hormone leptin regulates appetite and metabolism. Leptin also regulates the cells that fight infection. Leptin is produced by fat cells, and to a lesser extent by tissues in the lungs. The more fat a person has, the more leptin circulates in their body. Elevated leptin levels hamper the body’s ability to fight off infections, in the lungs and elsewhere, Dr. Rebello said. High leptin levels promote a low-grade systemic inflammatory state. “If you have obesity, there are a number of underlying health issues that make it more difficult for you to fight off a COVID-19 infection,” said John Kirwan, PhD, Pennington Biomedical Executive Director and a co-author of the review. “Your entire body, including your lungs, may be inflamed. Your immune response is likely compromised, and your lung capacity reduced. “Add in a virus that further weakens the body’s ability to fight infection, that can limit the body’s ability to control lung inflammation, and you have the recipe for disaster.” COVID-19 vaccine developers should take the immunocompromised state resulting from obesity into consideration, in much the same way they would advancing age. The researchers say the role of leptin in COVID-19’s development bears investigation along with the viral proteins that alter the immune systems of people with obesity. One potential avenue of treatment may be a drug that prevents inflammatory responses to the virus. Another potential avenue of investigation includes examining how proinflammatory fat tissue in people with obesity might contribute to activating fewer infection-fighting cells and why those cells die more quickly. To read the original article click here.

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