ArticlePloS one2021
Impaired immune response mediated by prostaglandin E2 promotes severe COVID-19 disease.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 88 citations in OpenAlex.
- Persistent prostaglandin E2 upregulation and hormonal multi-resistance: A hypothesis for long COVID.Biochemistry and biophysics reports · 2026Article
- Phospholipase A2 Isoforms in Lung Immunity and Respiratory Infections: Potential Targets for Next-Generation Therapy.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- The COX2-PGEbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Palmitoylated COX-2Journal of advanced research · 2026Article
- Genes Encoding Heat Shock Proteins Are Associated with Risk and Clinical Course of Severe COVID-19: A Pilot Study.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Prolonged airway explant culture enables study of health, disease, and viral pathogenesis.Science advances · 2025Article
- Aqueous extract of Enantia chlorantha Oliv. demonstrates antimalarial activity and improves redox imbalance and biochemical alterations in mice.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Observational
- PROS1 released by lung basal cells limits inflammation in epithelial and monocytes during SARS-CoV-2 infection.Discovery immunology · 2025Article
- The Role of PGE2 in Age-related Diseases.Current drug targets · 2025Review
- The role of innate immune responses against two strains of PEDV (S INDEL and non-S INDEL) in newborn and weaned piglets inoculated by combined orogastric and intranasal routes.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Vascular fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodelling in post-COVID 19 conditions.Infectious medicine · 2024Review
- Article
- Eicosanoids Signals in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Foe or Friend.Molecular biotechnology · 2024Review
- Precision cut lung slices: an integrated ex vivo model for studying lung physiology, pharmacology, disease pathogenesis and drug discovery.Respiratory research · 2024Review
- 1-L Transcription of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein S1 Subunit.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Changes in Endometriosis-Associated Symptoms Following Immunization against SARS-CoV-2: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Influenza A virus selectively elevates prostaglandin EiScience · 2024Article
- Long term follow-up of heart rate variability in healthcare workers with mild COVID-19.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Inhibition of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase protects neurons from ferroptosis in ischemic stroke.MedComm · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
29 authors at 9 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has led to a pandemic with millions of people affected. The present study finds that risk-factors for severe COVID-19 disease courses, i.e. male sex, older age and sedentary life style are associated with higher prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) serum levels in blood samples from unaffected subjects. In COVID-19 patients, PGE2 blood levels are markedly elevated and correlate positively with disease severity. SARS-CoV-2 induces PGE2 generation and secretion in infected lung epithelial cells by upregulating cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 and reducing the PG-degrading enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin-dehydrogenase. Also living human precision cut lung slices (PCLS) infected with SARS-CoV-2 display upregulated COX-2. Regular exercise in aged individuals lowers PGE2 serum levels, which leads to increased Paired-Box-Protein-Pax-5 (PAX5) expression, a master regulator of B-cell survival, proliferation and differentiation also towards long lived memory B-cells, in human pre-B-cell lines. Moreover, PGE2 levels in serum of COVID-19 patients lowers the expression of PAX5 in human pre-B-cell lines. The PGE2 inhibitor Taxifolin reduces SARS-CoV-2-induced PGE2 production. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2, male sex, old age, and sedentary life style increase PGE2 levels, which may reduce the early anti-viral defense as well as the development of immunity promoting severe disease courses and multiple infections. Regular exercise and Taxifolin treatment may reduce these risks and prevent severe disease courses.
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Registered trials
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