Gastrointestinal cancers, ACE-2/TMPRSS2 expression and susceptibility to COVID-19.
Sepehr ShafieeLuca CegolonMostafa KhafaeiNasrin GholamiShi ZhaoNasrin KhalesiHamidreza MoosavianSaeid FathiMorteza IzadiAlireza GhadianMohammad JavanbakhtAmin JavanbakhtReza Akhavan-SigariPublished in: Cancer cell international (2021)
Recent studies on the pathophysiology of COVID-19 are indicating that the Angiotensin convertase enzyme 2 (ACE-2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) can act as a major component in the fusion of SARS-Cov-2 with target cells. It has also been observed that the expression of ACE-2 and TMPRSS2 can be altered in malignancies. Shedding light on this matter could be crucial since the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with many gastrointestinal cancer screening programs. Herein we discuss the possibility of severe forms of COVID-19 in patients with gastrointestinal cancers due to the gastrointestinal entry route of SARS-CoV-2 into the human body. The disruption of cancer screening programs caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic could therefore have massive negative health impact on patients affected by gastrointestinal malignancies.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- coronavirus disease
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- angiotensin converting enzyme
- angiotensin ii
- public health
- papillary thyroid
- poor prognosis
- end stage renal disease
- healthcare
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- induced apoptosis
- squamous cell
- mental health
- peritoneal dialysis
- squamous cell carcinoma
- childhood cancer
- prognostic factors
- early onset
- climate change
- health promotion
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- drug induced