ABSTRACT
We report for the first time therapy-resistant hypernatremia (plasma sodium concentration ≥150 mmol per liter) developing in 6 of 12 critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients age 57-84 years requiring mechanical ventilation. There was no correlation between plasma sodium concentrations and sodium input. Plasma concentrations of chloride were elevated, those of potassium decreased. These findings are consistent with abnormally increased renal sodium reabsorption, possibly caused by increased angiotensin II activity secondary to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced downregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. As hypernatremia was associated with increased length of intensive care unit stay, special attention should be paid to the electrolyte status of COVID-19 patients.
Subject(s)
Coronavirus Infections/complications , Fluid Therapy/methods , Hypernatremia/complications , Natriuretic Agents/therapeutic use , Pneumonia, Viral/complications , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Case-Control Studies , Chlorides/blood , Cohort Studies , Coronavirus Infections/blood , Female , Fluid Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Hospital Mortality , Humans , Hypernatremia/blood , Hypernatremia/epidemiology , Hypernatremia/therapy , Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral/blood , Renal Dialysis , Respiration, Artificial , Respiratory Insufficiency/etiology , Respiratory Insufficiency/therapy , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Abnormal signal transduction arising from integrins and protein tyrosine kinases has been implicated in the initiation and progression of a variety of human cancers. Integrin-mediated signal transduction pathways require regulated cytoplasmic protein-protein interactions. However, little is known about integrin-associated proteins and ovarian cancer. In our study we investigated the association of pp125FAK, a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, involved in anchorage-independent growth of tumor cells, and the Four and a Half LIM domain (FHL) protein FHL2, which was recently shown to interact with integrins. Our data demonstrated that pp125FAK and FHL2 form a protein complex in human ovarian carcinoma. Furthermore, we showed that pp125FAK is overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancer, but virtually absent in normal ovary. Our immunohistochemistry data showed that FHL2 protein expression is also augmented in epithelial ovarian cancer. Taken together, our results demonstrated for the first time FHL2 expression in human ovarian cancer cells, suggesting an important functional role of pp125FAK and FHL2 complex in gynecologic malignancies.
