SARS-CoV-2 infection, endotheliitis and bile acids: an integrative view

Abstract

Introduction: Endotheliitis is caused by complex mechanisms associated with immune-metabolic comorbidities as an expression of the damage produced by various agents, such as the case of proinflammatory actions due to the interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with bile acids, which may be involved in mortality from COVID-19.

Objective: To describe the biomolecular evidence of bile acid cytotoxicity on the endothelium and the possible relationship with endothelitis of histological sections of tissues from COVID-19 deaths, associated or not with known comorbidities.

Methods: A systematic and critical review of the articles reported on bile acids and endothelitis from 1963 to 2021 was conducted on the websites (PubMed, SciELO, Lilacs and Elservier). It was cited the histology of lung tissue with endothelial damage in 34 deceased by COVID-19 at "Luis Díaz Soto" Central Military Hospital, whose histological sections were examined at "Hermanos Ameijeiras" Clinical Surgical Hospital. Likewise, the actions and physicochemical properties of bile acids that could be related to observed endothelitis in these histological sections were described.

Conclusions: Hydrophobic bile acids conjugated with glycine, due to their properties and serum increases found in immune-metabolic comorbidities and hepato-intestinal diseases, could have a role in endothelitis present in COVID-19 patients, with severe and critical stages.