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In a recent study, scientists discovered specific molecular markers in the blood that predict serious outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection. The results of this study expand the understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical progression of COVID-19 and have the potential to identify early in the infectious process which individuals are most likely to develop serious disease and require hospitalization.

In addition to pneumonia and septic syndrome, a small percentage of patients also experience severe gastrointestinal and/or cardiovascular symptoms and neurological symptoms after SARS-COV-2 infection.

This study used a multi-omics approach to integrate data from different omics disciplines, including cutting-edge transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic technologies, to identify significantly associated molecular alterations in COVID-19 patients (especially critically ill patients). This work evaluated data from 83 patients in three groups, including 16 severe cases, 50 mild cases and 17 virus-free healthy controls.

Serial blood and throat swab samples were collected from all participants and determined whether COVID-19 pathophysiology was related to specific molecular changes, with a total of 23,373 expressed genes, 9,439 proteins, 327 metabolites and 769 extracellular RNA molecule fragments.

Between mild and severe cases, there are significant differences between various immune markers (e.g., type 1 interferons and inflammatory cytokines), the latter being elevated in the latter, which shows a robust T cell response that may help prevent disease progression.

In addition, there was a significant correlation between multi-omics data and classical diagnostic blood or biochemical parameters. This is particularly reflected in the proteomic analysis, where tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and glycolytic pathways were significantly downregulated in mild and severe patients compared to healthy controls. In contrast, in patients with COVID-19, host defense pathways (e.g., T-cell receptor signaling pathways) express elevated activity.

Another potentially valuable finding for future clinical use is the association between viral load and disease prognosis in patients with severe COVID-19. Unfortunately, six severely symptomatic patients died, and their SARS-CoV-2 RNA load obtained by sampling in the throat before admission was significantly higher than that of survivors. The notable finding here is that proteins involved in antiviral processes, including T-cell and B-cell receptor signaling pathways, are positively correlated with viral load changes in surviving severe patients.

Introduction to biomarker

Biomarker refers to indicators that can be used to indicate physiological processes, pathological processes, and pharmacological responses to therapeutic measures. Biomarkers can sensitively reflect disease states and can be used for disease screening, disease diagnosis, predictive drug adverse reactions, and drug dose response studies, as well as prognostic indicators for disease treatment.

The intestine is the human body’s largest digestive and immune organ, responsible for 99% of nutrient absorption and 70% of immune work. The amount of food consumed in a lifetime is equivalent to 12 elephants. The intestine has more than 400 kinds of 10 trillion bacteria, diligently maintaining people’s health, of which probiotics are indispensable. In recent years, people have begun to attach importance to the efficacy of probiotics and intentionally add them to the diet.

Probiotics have six major functions

Probiotics are essential to human health, and its functions are mainly reflected in the following aspects: 1. Promote digestion and absorption. Food usually stays in the intestine for more than 12 hours. During this time, probiotics can promote the synthesis of various digestive enzymes to extract various nutrients from the food. For example, the short-chain fatty acids decomposed by the colonic flora through fermentation can promote the absorption of calcium, magnesium and iron in the colon; and for example, Streptococcus thermophilus can produce lactase to help the human body digest lactose

Enhance immune cells and protect intestinal mucosa. On the one hand, the structure of probiotics, such as peptidoglycan, lipoteichoic acid and other components can enhance the activity and lethality of immune cells. On the other hand, organic acids, hydrogen peroxide and other substances produced by these beneficial bacteria can reduce the permeability of the intestinal mucosa and block or inhibit the invasion of the intestinal mucosa by pathogens.

Reduce the risk of cancer. Escherichia coli, Clostridium spp., Enterococcus, Bacteroides, etc. in the intestine can promote the combination of nitrite and amine in food to form nitrite amine with strong carcinogenic effect. Probiotics such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli can decompose nitrite into nitrites and amines, thereby reducing the risk of bowel cancer.

Reduce cholesterol absorption. Probiotics participate in the liver-intestinal metabolism cycle, which can control the flora to interfere with the absorption of cholesterol in food, inhibit the production of liver cholesterol, and promote the excretion of cholesterol in the body.

Auxiliary anti-oxidation of the oxides in the body, such as oxygen free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals, etc., because of their unstable nature, redox reactions are prone to occur, and excessive amounts may cause oxidative damage. The intestinal probiotics can help eliminate the oxides synthesized by the body and maintain the dynamic balance of oxidative metabolism.

To moisten the intestines and laxative. Normal feces rely on the action of probiotics, which can maintain 70% to 80% of the moisture content, and discharge very smoothly. However, if the number of probiotics is too small and the gastrointestinal motility and digestion capacity is insufficient, it is easy for the feces to stay in the intestines for too long, and a large amount of water will be lost, which will make it difficult to eliminate.

Does everyone need probiotic supplements?

Studies have pointed out that the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the intestines of healthy people reaches 70%, while that of ordinary people is 25%, and the proportion of people with constipation is reduced to 15%, while the proportion of probiotics in the intestines of cancer patients is only 10%. Therefore, from a long-term perspective, appropriate supplementation of foods rich in probiotics is of great significance for maintaining intestinal health. There are several types of people who need special supplements:

Acute infectious gastroenteritis when acute inflammation is caused by a foreign pathogen, the immune function of the intestinal tract becomes poor and frequent diarrhea is prone to cause a serious reduction in the scale of probiotics. At this time, probiotic preparations such as Rhamnobacterium and Saccharomyces boulardii may slightly shorten the duration of diarrhea and reduce the degree of diarrhea.

After taking antibacterial drugs, the destruction of intestinal flora by antibacterial drugs is more serious. At this time, it is difficult to rely on self-recovery, and additional probiotics need to be supplemented to help the intestinal microecology restore balance.

Studies on the elderly with poor digestion have shown that the number of probiotics in the human body will decrease with age, usually only 11% of the elderly, the probiotics are severely insufficient, the gastrointestinal function is weak, and appropriate supplements are needed.

People with weakened immunity. As we said earlier, the intestine is responsible for about 70% of the body’s immune function, and probiotics are even more important elements of immune activity. Therefore, people who have frequent colds all year round, have chronic inflammation, have low immunity, and tend to get sick in the stomach and intestines during the season, can be suitable to supplement some foods rich in probiotics.