December 1, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 IS PRIMARILY A DISEASE OF THE SPIKE PROTEIN’S INTERACTION WITH THE MICROVASCULATURE
A large study was posted today, which I believe greatly supports the hypothesis that COVID-19 is not only a Vascular Disease, but, specifically, a disease of the MICROVASCULATURE. This is due, mainly, to the Spike Protein’s injury to the endothelium.
If we look at the mortality rates from the Trends and associated factors for Covid-19 hospitalisation and fatality risk in 2.3 million adults in England study, we find that OBESITY IS ACTUALLY A VERY, VERY SLIGHT RISK FOR MORTALITY. HOWEVER, UNDERWEIGHT IS A VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT RISK FOR MORTALITY.
If we look at the other major mortality risks, we observe that they are CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE, SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS (i.e. Schizophrenia) and LEARNING DISABILITIES.
These seeming disparate conditions do have ONE hallmark in common. THEY ARE ALL INTRINSICALLY RELATED TO MICROVASCULAR DYSFUNCTION.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Vascular involvement in the pathophysiology of SZ (Bleuler, 1911) has gained some salience in recent years to explain and unify physiologic abnormalities seen in SZ (Hanson and Gottesman, 2005; Moises et al., 2015; Schmidt-Kastner et al., 2012). These hypotheses place IMPARIMENR OF THE BRAIN MICROVASCULAR SYSTEM AS THE CENTRAL MECHANISM IN THE PATHOLOGY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA.
LEARNING DISABILITIES
The Hypothesis: It has been identified that the visual impairment in T2D is related to microvascular complications, which may cause low blood and fluid flow to the eyes that may lead blurred vision, dry eyes or retinopathy according to the severity of the condition. Due blurred vision that is caused by microvascular complications, reading difficulties can be developed which may trigger Dyslexia, however, it requires further research within the dyslexic patients and their microvascular system.
UNDERWEIGHT
Findings in a study from 2018 indicate Nailfold Capillaroscopic Pattern abnormalities are more frequently observed in UNDERWEIGHT INDIVIDUALS, indicating that MICROVASCULAR CHANGES may occur independently of an underlying connective tissue disease.
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
By setting the stage for the development of tissue fibrosis and end organ failure, microvascular rarefaction is a principal pathogenic factor in the development of severe organ dysfunction in CKD patients, especially CVD, cerebrovascular dysfunction, muscular atrophy, cachexia, and progression of kidney disease. Treatment strategies for microvascular disease are urgently needed.
Full attention should be given to understanding the pathogenesis and progression of COVID-19 as a disease of the microvasculature.
Referenced/Related Papers
Microvascular disease in chronic kidney disease: the base of the iceberg in cardiovascular comorbidity
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32542397/
SAT0471 Abnormal nailfold capillaroscopic patterns are common in underweight subjects with raynaud’s phenomenon
https://ard.bmj.com/content/77/Suppl_2/1093.2
Microvascular anomaly conditions in psychiatric disease. Schizophrenia – angiogenesis connection
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5497758/
Hypothetical molecular interconnection between type 2 diabetes and dyslexia
https://bmcneurosci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12868-021-00666-9
Endothelial Cell Activation by SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 Protein: A Crosstalk between Endothelium and Innate Immune Cells