Immune cells’ intense reaction to the coronavirus may lead to pneumonia

The intense reaction of one of the lungs’ guardians against infection may help explain why COVID-19 can become severe., researchers report online April 10 in the. Overwhelmed by the virus’ onslaught, the cells’ extreme inflammatory response may contribute to the development of pneumonia, a disease that damages the lungs and makes breathing difficult.

A bout of COVID-19 can begin after someone breathes in the coronavirus, which — launched by a sneeze or a cough —). Evidence suggests the virus first infects cells that line the nasal cavity or the throat, and then the immune system response kicks in. From that point, many people clear the infection, says Catherine Blish, a viral immunologist at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Specifically, there were two types of macrophages: Those that reside in the lung tissue, called interstitial, and those associated with the air sacs. The researchers took purified macrophages of each type and put them in a dish with SARS-CoV-2 for additional experiments to show that the cells were being infected, not just gobbling up virus. The team also probed the immune response of the two populations of macrophages.

In the body, this kind of immune response can lead to a huge influx of cells and inflammatory proteins into the lungs’ air space, Blish says. That can compromise the air sacs’ ability to function and help set the stage for pneumonia.

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