Bradykinin Storm: COVID 19

 Bradykinin Storm: COVID 19

A recent analysis of samples of patients with the COVID 19 infection has shown a phenomenon called a Bradykinin storm. Doctors treating Covid 19 patients often cannot identify the severity with which the SARS-COV-2 virus seems to affect some people and Bradykinin Storm might explain the working of the virus in the body.

The Bradykinin Hypothesis:

• SARS-COV-2 virus uses a humane enzyme called ACE2 to enter into the cells of its host. ACE2 lowers blood pressure in the human body and works against another enzyme known as ACE(Which has the opposite effects).
• The virus causes the levels of ACE to fall in the lungs, and consequently pushes up the levels of ACE2.
• This happens as a chain reaction and increases the levels of the molecule bradynin in the cells, causing a bradynin storm. Bradynin is a compound that is related to pain sensation and lowering blood pressure in the human body. Bradynin storm causes the blood vessels to expand and become leaky, leading to swelling of the surrounding tissue.

Increase in Hyaluronic acid: 

The levels of a substance called hyaluronic aacid also increase. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the skin, and it helps to bind water to collagen(protein). It can absorb more than 1000 times its own weight to form a hydrogel.

Impact: The bradynin storm induced leakage of fluid into the lungs combines with the excess hyaluronic acid would likely result in a jello like substance that prevents oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide in the lungs of severely affected Covid 19 patients.

Knowing the mechanism, doctors can target the bradynin pathway to evolve the most sophisticated intensive care, including ventilators, futile.

Cytokine storm syndrome:

• Cytokine storm syndrome is characterised by the overproducing of immune cells and the cytokines themselves because of a dysregulation in the process. Cytokines are a large group of a proteins that are secreted by specific cells of the immune system.
• In the case of any flu infection, a cytokine storm is associated with a surge of activated immune cells into the lungs, which instead of fighting off the antigen,leads to lung inflamation and fluid build up and respiratory distress.