Frontiers in Immunology (Jul 2022)

Pathogenic Mechanism and Multi-omics Analysis of Oral Manifestations in COVID-19

  • Ming Hao,
  • Dongxu Wang,
  • Qianyun Xia,
  • Shaoning Kan,
  • Lu Chang,
  • Huimin Liu,
  • Zhijing Yang,
  • Weiwei Liu,
  • Weiwei Liu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.879792
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory infectious disease that seriously threatens human life. The clinical manifestations of severe COVID-19 include acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ failure. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of COVID-19, spreads through contaminated droplets. SARS-CoV-2 particles have been detected in the saliva of COVID-19 patients, implying that the virus can infect and damage the oral cavity. The oral manifestations of COVID-19 include xerostomia and gustatory dysfunction. Numerous studies showed that the four structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 are its potential pathogenic factors, especially the S protein, which binds to human ACE2 receptors facilitating the entry of the virus into the host cells. Usually, upon entry into the host cell, a pathogen triggers the host’s immune response. However, a mount of multi-omics and immunological analyses revealed that COVID-19 is caused by immune dysregulation. A decrease in the number and phenotypes of immune cells, IFN-1 production and excessive release of certain cytokines have also been reported. In conclusion, this review summarizes the oral manifestations of COVID-19 and multi-omics analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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