[Research advances in the mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis induced by coronavirus disease 2019 and the corresponding therapeutic measures].

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbroke in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbroke in Guangzhou, China in 2003 were caused by highly pathogenic coronaviruses with high homology. Since the 2019 novel coronavirus is highly contagious and spreads rapidly. It has caused negative social effects and massive economic loss globaly. Currently there is no vaccine or effective drugs. Pulmonary fibrosis is a pulmonary disease with progressive fibrosis, which is the main factor leading to pulmonary dysfunction and declined quality of life in SARS survivors after recovery. Extensive epidemiological, viral immunological and current clinical evidences support the possibility that pulmonary fibrosis may be one of the major complications in COVID-19 patients. At present there is no report on the mechanism by which COVID-19 induces pulmonary fibrosis.With the existing theoretical basis, this article focuses on discussing the possible mechanism of COVID-19 sustained lung damaging, the key role of abnormal immune mechanism in the initiation and promotion of pulmonary fibrosis, and the corresponding therapeutic measures.