Severe acute respiratory syndrome and thyroid: A molecular point of view.

SARS-CoV-2 and some other members of Coronaviridae family have recently forced a great deal of health, social, and economic issues globally. To that end, investigations have been oriented towards finding ways for reducing the burden of COVID-19. One of the occurrences which stands in the way of making the treatment of this disease less complicated is the way coronaviruses involve a variety of cells, tissues, organs, and even systems. This action is possible as a result of viral attachment to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 or ACE2. Thus, any kind of cell expressing ACE2 is prone to be affected by both SARS-COV and SARS-COV-2. Endocrine system is one of these at-risk systems. In this review, we have considered the relation between coronaviruses and one of the most essential organs of endocrine system: thyroid gland. This relation can be probed from two aspects: how underlying thyroid dysfunction can increase the risk of being infected by these viruses and how these viruses can alter the function of thyroid gland.

Coagulopathy: Another side effect of coronavirus infection.

Recently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been considered as a major health problem around the globe. This severe acute respiratory syndrome has a bunch of features, such as high transmission rate, which are adding to its importance. Overcoming this disease relies on a complete understanding of the viral structure, receptors, at-risk cells or tissues, and pathogenesis. Currently, researches have shown that besides the lack of a proper anti-viral therapeutic method, complications provided by this virus are also standing in the way of decreasing its mortality rate. One of these complications is believed to be a hematologic manifestation. Commonly, three kinds of coagulopathies are detected in COVID-19 patients: disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), pulmonary embolism (PE), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In this paper, we have reviewed the relation between these conditions and coronavirus-related diseases pathogenesis, severity, and mortality rate.

An Insight into the Sex Differences in COVID-19 Patients: What are the Possible Causes?

Studies have reported a sex bias in case fatalities of COVID-19 patients. Moreover, it is observed that men have a higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease compared to women, highlighting the importance of disaggregated data of male and female COVID-19 patients. On the other hand, other factors (eg, hormonal levels and immune functions) also need to be addressed due to the effects of sex differences on the outcomes of COVID-19 patients. An insight into the underlying causes of sex differences in COVID-19 patients may provide an opportunity for better care of the patients or prevention of the disease. The current study reviews the reports concerning with the sex differences in COVID-19 patients. It is explained how sex can affect angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), that is a key component for the pathogenesis of COVID-19, and summarized the gender differences in immune responses and how sex hormones are involved in immune processes. Furthermore, the available data about the impact of sex hormones on the immune functions of COVID-19 cases are looked into.