Role of Colchicine in Management of COVID-19?
Kholoud Mohamed Elawady Elhefnawy
Elshiwy (1), Ghada Essam El-Din Amin (1,2), Mohamed Nazmy (3), Rasha Samir (3),
Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,4)*
1. Department of Family Medicine,
Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
2. Department of Community,
Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams
University, Cairo, Egypt.
3. Department of Internal Medicine,
Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
4. Department of Preventive Medicine
and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba 14004,
Spain
*Correspondence:
farouk.allam@med.asu.edu.eg
DOI:
10.31586/gjeid.2022.177
Abstract:
CoV-2 disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic has exerted a great burden on the health and economic systems
worldwide. One of the most important factors that affect the severity and
prognosis of COVID-19 is the occurrence of hyperstimulation of the immune
system resulting in “cytokine storm”. Similar to SARS-CoV, an intracellular
complex called nod like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)
inflammasome was found to be activated by SARS-CoV-2, then in turn stimulates
several interleukins and initiates the inflammatory cascade. In addition, other
inflammatory mediators such as interferons e.g., IFN-α, and IFN-γ, interleukins e.g., IL-1β, IL-12, IL-18, tumor necrosis
factor-α (TNF- α), and chemokines e.g., CCL2, CXCL10
have been reported in severely ill patients. These mediators represent the
corner stone in developing cytokine storm that results in uncontrolled systemic
inflammatory reaction with subsequent acute respira[1]tory
distress syndrome (ARDS), multiple organ failure and eventually death. Based on
its an[1]ti-inflammatory effects,
colchicine has also gained attention to be utilized in the management of
COVID-19 patient. Colchicine exerts its anti-inflammatory effect through
inhibition of formation of microtubules which is considered an essential step
in several cellular processes such as division, signalling, and migration.
Also, colchicine affects the cytokine cascade by inhibiting IL-1β leading to reduction in neutrophils
recruitment, free radicles production and inflammasome stimulation. This raises
the concerns about the effectiveness of colchicine in COVID-19 treatment and
the pos[1]sibility of providing an
improvement of the clinical course of the disease.
Keywords: Coronavirus, COVID-19,
Colchicine, Management, Review
Global Journal of Epidemiology and
Infectious Disease, 2022, 1, 1-3
https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/gjeid/article/view/177
