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Does dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate have a role in COVID-19 prognosis and treatment? Cover

Does dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate have a role in COVID-19 prognosis and treatment?

Open Access
|Sep 2021

Abstract

The pathophysiology of COVID comprises an exaggerated pro-inflammatory response. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has a crucial role in various inflammatory conditions and modulated immunological response. Limited evidence is available regarding the incidence and the effect of HPA dysfunction in COVID-19. Although the cortisol levels have only been estimated in a few studies, the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) release from the adrenal gland has not been explored yet. In this mini review, the authors discuss the role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEAS in the acute stress response and immunological modulation. Various effects of DHEAS have been demonstrated in different diseases. The specific inhibitory effect of DHEA on interleukin 6 (IL-6) could be of paramount importance in COVID-19. Further, DHEA supplementation has already been proposed in inflammatory conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis. DHEAS levels in COVID-19 may help to understand the HPA axis dysfunction as well as the possibility of repurposing DHEA as a drug for mitigating the pro-inflammatory COVID-19.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/enr-2021-0019 | Journal eISSN: 1336-0329 | Journal ISSN: 1210-0668
Language: English
Page range: 174 - 181
Published on: Sep 13, 2021
Published by: Slovak Academy of Sciences, Mathematical Institute
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year

© 2021 Sojit Tomo, Mithu Banerjee, Praveen Sharma, Mahendra Garg, published by Slovak Academy of Sciences, Mathematical Institute
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.