Is Ferritin one of The Missing Link in Putting Together the Pieces of Covid 19 and Mucormycosis?
Abstract
Abstract
The exact cause of increased incidence of mucormycosis in covid-19 patient is an enigma. Cause cannot be attributed to a single factor, although many theories are doing the rounds. Predisposing factors include an immune-compromised host (both due to viral infectionas well as systemic corticosteroid therapy), diabetic ketoacidosis, zinc medications etc.Medical professionals are at a loss of words in explaining the exact cause of this phenomenon. The purpose of this review is to hypothesise if increased availability of iron in the host has any adjunctive role in increased incidence of mucormycosis in covid-19 patients.
Recent findings- Hyperferritenemia has been detected in covid-19 patients with increase levels in tune with high morbidity, mortality and severity of covid 19. Dual role has been attributed to this iron containing protein actingboth as a product of inflammation (released by various inflammatory cells) as well as mediator of inflammatory responses. There has been a sudden surge in zygomycetes infection particularly of the order mucorales. Mucormycosiscaused by Rhizopusoryzae sis a life threatening infection seen in covid-19 patients. A novel mechanism in pathogenesis of mucormycosis is iron acquisition.
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