Open AccessImmune response in acute respiratory syndrome induced by the new coronavirus
Author(s) -
Waldemar de Paula,
Carina Silva de Freitas,
Francisco Ferreira de Lima Neto,
Nathália Alves Santana,
Nathália Zenaide Durães Soares,
Vitória Louise Mendes Fonseca,
Renata Cristina Rezende Macedo do Nascimento,
Andrea GrabeGuimarães
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
abcs health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2357-8114
pISSN - 2318-4965
DOI - 10.7322/abcshs.2020256.1704
Subject(s) - immune system , coronavirus , coronaviridae , immunology , innate immune system , immunity , biology , acquired immune system , chemokine , effector , viral pathogenesis , virology , virus , medicine , covid-19 , viral replication , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to the family Coronaviridae, which are enveloped and have a single-stranded RNA genome. The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is the seventh known coronavirus that can infect humans and cause serious illness, such as acute respiratory syndrome. The coronaviruses already identified have contributed to the understanding of the clinical manifestations caused by SARS-CoV-2, as well as their associations with the immune system. The aim of the present study was to carry out a narrative review of the literature on the host's immune response to infection by the new coronavirus. The review contains basic and summarized information on the main mechanisms involved in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2. The characteristics of the infection were considered according to the following: from the initial contact with the host through binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2); the recognition of the pathogen by innate immunity cells; its containment mechanisms, including the production of effector cytokines and chemokines important in the development of the inflammatory process; and the participation of the complement system until the activation of the adaptive immune response. The probable occurrence of a host dysfunctional immune response and the escape mechanisms of the virus were also addressed. Despite numerous studies on the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, knowledge about the host's immune response in COVID-19 is not fully understood. The present work established the relationship between the new coronavirus and the immune system, but further studies are needed for all the mechanisms of the process to be elucidated.