Department of Biotechnology, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey
Review Article
The importance of neopterin in COVID-19: the prognostic value and relation with the disease severity
Author(s): Nadia Heidari, Nadia Heidari, Shima Hatamkhani, Burcu Tekin, Shahryar Alipour, Roya Naderi, Yeghaneh Farnamian and Ilknur Akca
Coronavirus Disease 2019 [COVID-19], caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2], has rapidly evolved into a global health emergency. Neopterin [NPT], produced by macrophages when stimulated with interferon [IFN-] gamma, is an important cytokine in the antiviral immune response. NPT has been used as a marker for early assessment of disease severity in different of diseases. The main cause of NPT production is the proinflammatory cytokine IFN. Macrophage activation has also been revealed to be linked with disease severity in SARS-CoV-2 patients. We demonstrate the importance of NPT in the pathogenesis of SARSCoV- 2 and suggest that targeting of NPT in SARS-CoV-2 infection may be critical in the early prediction of disease progression and provision of timely management of infected individuals. .. View More»