Hrmbee OP t1_ir4a8r3 wrote
From the article:
>The researchers analysed blood from 36 Covid patients admitted to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London in the first wave of the pandemic. They found that levels of a protein called IL-6, which immune cells release as a rallying call for other immune cells, were more than 15 times higher than normal in infected individuals. > >But an even more dramatic rise in IL-6 was found in Covid patients with delirium – a state of extreme confusion that can leave people not knowing who, or where, they are. In these patients, IL-6 was six times higher than in other Covid patients. Nearly a third of Covid patients admitted to hospital experience delirium, rising to two-thirds in severe cases. > >The scientists then investigated how high levels of IL-6 might affect neurons in the hippocampus by exposing lab-grown nerve cells to the patients’ blood. They found that blood from patients with delirium increased the normal death rate of neurons and reduced the generation of new brain cells. The damage caused is thought to drive delirium. > >The harmful effects were traced back to a cascade of events where IL-6 triggers the release of two related immune proteins, called IL-12 and IL-13. Dr Alessandra Borsini, the study’s first author, said the impact of the proteins on generating new brain cells was “profound”. > >However, blocking the proteins protected brain cells from damage, the scientists report in Molecular Psychiatry. The work suggests drugs known as Janus kinase inhibitors, which are already used to calm dangerous immune reactions to Covid, might combat delirium and its knock-on effects. > >Older people are particularly vulnerable to delirium after a range of infections and operations. The state of confusion leads to a substantial rise in the risk of dementia. > >“We believe these proteins are responsible for the delirium symptoms in acute Covid patients, and in general in long Covid patients experiencing neurological symptoms,” Borsini said. Measuring the levels of the immune proteins in patients could help personalise their treatment, she added.
It will be interesting to see further research in this direction. Hopefully some of the other factors that might be contributing to neurological damage from COVID infections and their relationships with each other can also be determined in short order.
bolonomadic t1_ir4ubnb wrote
So much for people wanting to “boost “ their immune system.
Propyl_People_Ether t1_ir4vo8g wrote
That's kind of a silly comment. Immune systems are complicated and there are many, many different types of cells and messenger molecules involved.
Obviously, increasing this specific kind of molecule (cytokines) isn't great. But "immune system" is a vague phrase like "home security".
You could say "So much for wanting to boost your home security" on, say, a gun fatality. But in actuality there are many types of home security that don't involve weapons. An alarm system, a camera, a dog or a fence can all increase your security without physical violence.
Similarly, immunological memory/antigen recognition is one of the first line defenses we have in our bodies, and it's good to have those first-line defenses well honed.
Whereas cytokines such as IL-6 are more like guns; once there are too many going off in one place, whatever you were hoping to prevent from happening probably already has.
Envect t1_ir4w6d8 wrote
You know they were talking about anti-vaxxers, right?
Propyl_People_Ether t1_ir4xm35 wrote
They may have been, but a lot of the things anti-vaxxers repeat are things that start as oversimplification into inaccuracy.
In order to fight this form of disinformation, we must also avoid feeding it new and different inaccuracies.
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