gracelive

AUTHOR: SEOK WOO YANG, MD & PhD

CONTACT: soplab@outlook.kr

DATE: 2020.03.19

CONTENT:

 te Velthuis et al reported that Zn(2+) inhibits the replication of SARS coronaviruses in cell culture study. They found that the SARS-CoV RdRp elongation was inhibited and template binding reduced by Zn(2+).[1]

 Mocchegiani et al found that old people aged 60-65 years with specific IL-6 polymorphism (GG allele carriers; named C-) had a low level of zinc and the proinflammatory status of IL-6. With zinc supplementation, the inflammatory responses by IL-6 were ameliorated into the healthy condition.[2]

 Old people have a tendency to have an increased level of IL-6  associated with the aging process.[3]

 It has known that increased IL-6 production by Th2 cells and macrophages.[4]

 This Th2 shifting immunity is susceptible to viral infection. 

 About the immunity of COVID-19, Xu et al revealed Th2 immune skewness polarized by IL-6 and TGF-β, which is vulnerable to viral infection.[5]

 With a constellation of the above data, although there is no report about the relationship between zinc and novel coronaviral infection(COVID-19, Wuhan Coronaviral infection), the author thinks that zinc can be a supportive nutritional mineral for anti-viral immunity in COVID-19.

REFERENCE:

[1] te Velthuis AJ, van den Worm SH, Sims AC, Baric RS, Snijder EJ, van Hemert
MJ. Zn(2+) inhibits coronavirus and arterivirus RNA polymerase activity in vitro
and zinc ionophores block the replication of these viruses in cell culture. PLoS
Pathog. 2010 Nov 4;6(11):e1001176.

[2] Mocchegiani E, Romeo J, Malavolta M, Costarelli L, Giacconi R, Diaz LE,
Marcos A. Zinc: dietary intake and impact of supplementation on immune function in elderly. Age (Dordr). 2013 Jun;35(3):839-60. doi: 10.1007/s11357-011-9377-3.
Epub 2012 Jan 6. PMID: 22222917; PMCID: PMC3636409.

[3] Franceschi C. Inflammaging as a major characteristic of old people: can it be prevented or cured? Nutr Rev. 2007 Dec;65(12 Pt 2):S173-6.

[4] Mocchegiani E, Muzzioli M, Cipriano C, Giacconi R. Zinc, T-cell pathways, aging: role of metallothioneins. Mech Ageing Dev. 1998;106:183–204.

[5] Xu Z, Shi L, Wang Y, Zhang J, et al. Pathological findings of COVID-19 associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Lancet Respir Med. 2020;S2213-2600(20)30076-X.

AUTHOR: SEOK WOO YANG, MD & PhD

CONTACT: E mail: soplab@outlook.kr

DATE: 2020.03.17

CONTENT:

 In the pulmonary cases of COVID-19, Xu et al found the cytotoxic T cells with cytolytic activity which is associated with Th17 CD4 T cells polarized by IL-6 and TGF-β. This immunopathology led to diffuse alveolar and interstitial damage with pulmonary edema, pathologically and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) and secondary pneumonia, clinically.[1]   

 As a nutritional candidate to modulate both IL-6 and TGF-β, vitamin D can be considered. 

 Dalvi et al reported that the serum level of IL-6 was significantly increased and vitamin D3 decreased in tuberculosis multidrug-resistant group. Conversely, we can expect that the elevated serum level of vitamin D may reduce that of IL-6.[2]

 Hu et al mentioned the protecting role of vitamin D in diabetic nephropathy. One of the mechanisms to suppress pro-inflammatory responses was to inhibit production of TGF-β.[3]

 In conclusion, because the problematic immunopathology in the lung injury by COVID-19 is the elevated serum levels of IL-6 and TGF-β, we can infer that vitamin D to counteract these inflammatory responses may play a role somewhat in ameliorating the lung injury by COVID-19. About this, further studies will be necessary. 

REFERENCE:

[1] Xu Z, Shi L, Wang Y, Zhang J, et al. Pathological findings of COVID-19 associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Lancet Respir Med. 2020;S2213-2600(20)30076-X.

[2] Dalvi SM, Ramraje NN, Patil VW, Hegde R, Yeram N. Study of IL-6 and vitamin D3 in patients of pulmonary tuberculosis. Indian J Tuberc. 2019 Jul;66(3):337-345.

[3] Hu X, Liu W, Yan Y, Liu H, Huang Q, Xiao Y, Gong Z, Du J. Vitamin D protects against diabetic nephropathy: Evidence-based effectiveness and mechanism. Eur J Pharmacol. 2019 Feb 15;845:91-98. 

Passover and Blood on the doorframe

Author: SEOK WOO YANG, M.D. & Ph.D. 

Contact: E.mail: soplab@outlook.kr

Chapter 12 of Exodus in Bible reports on Passover day. Here God ordered the Israelite to avoid disaster on Passover day.

Chapter 12: verse 12th and 13th of Exodus, Bible says, "12 on that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn - both men and animals - and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt" (Figure 1).

The Passover means the disaster skipped the Israelite who kept the orders of God.

God orders the Israelite to paint the blood of lamb or goat on the sides and tops of the doorframe.

Why did God order this?

I interpreted this question medically. In terms of pathology, my opinion on these two problems is as follows;

Blood color varies from red to dark purple according to oxygen saturation. The main component of blood hue is caused by RBC (Red Blood Cell). When oxygen is rich in blood, blood color is red by binding O2 to iron in hemoglobin. Conversely, when oxygen is deficient, blood hue is dark purple. When we have cut wound in the skin, the blood coagulates slightly sticky. This occurs mainly by the fibrin component. The fibrin particles are interlocked and form chains of fibrin, a structure of meshwork (Fig.2.). This meshwork structure filters blood cells, especially platelets and RBCs. All this process leads to blood coagulation. The characteristics of the fibrin component endow the blood glutinous.

Sticking nature of blood by fibrin and blood other components, namely viscous force, makes blood to acquire the filtering power to capture fine dust of air including microorganisms (bacteria and virus particles).

 This may dilute the density of microbial pathogen particles.

As a principle of vaccine, the diluted amount of microbial pathogens may work as an immune-boosting effect rather than causing disease.

In this situation, I infer the people who did not paint blood on the doorframe may inhale contaminated air and be exposed to the infectious state. In contrast, people, namely the Israelites who paint blood on the doorframe, may inhale the air of diluted infectious microbial particles, which worked as a vaccine effect.

Furthermore, God designates that doorframe painting with blood should be done at night (Exodus, chapter 12; verse 6th:  Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight). To keep the viscosity of blood, the blood should preserve the liquidness. The liquid state may most be maintained at the cool state. The cool state in a day may be kept at the night time after sunset.

For the above reason, I infer God ordered blood paint on the doorframe at night in a day.

Copyright (C-2013-017025) PASSOVER DAY – Medical Interpretation by a Pathologist – (English) 

Facial Mask in the year 2020:

 As of March. 2020, novel coronavirus infection is pandemic. As a primary preventive method, the importance of the facial mask is raised. The author thinks that the facial mask may play a role in decreasing the number of viral droplets in inflowing air like the doorframe painted with blood in Passover. 

AUTHOR: SEOK WOO YANG, MD & PhD (E mail: soplab@outlook.kr)

DATE:2020.03.09

CONTENT:

REFERENCE:

[1] Xu Z, Shi L, Wang Y, Zhang J, Huang L, Zhang C, Liu S, Zhao P, Liu H, Zhu L, Tai Y, Bai C, Gao T, Song J, Xia P, Dong J, Zhao J, Wang FS. Pathological findings of COVID-19 associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Lancet Respir Med. 2020 Feb 18:S2213-2600(20)30076-X

[2] Alsaad KO, Hajeer AH, Al Balwi M, Al Moaiqel M, Al Oudah N, Al Ajlan A, AlJohani S, Alsolamy S, Gmati GE, Balkhy H, Al-Jahdali HH, Baharoon SA, Arabi YM. Histopathology of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronovirus (MERS-CoV)
infection - clinicopathological and ultrastructural study. Histopathology. 2018 Feb;72(3):516-524.

[3] Li YC, Bai WZ, Hashikawa T. The neuroinvasive potential of SARS-CoV2 may be at least partially responsible for the respiratory failure of COVID-19 patients. J Med Virol. 2020 Feb 27.

AUTHOR:SEOK WOO YANG, M.D. & Ph.D. (E.mail: soplab@outlook.kr)

DATE: 2020.03.09

CONTENT:

 Human coronaviruses have a property to haemagglutinate with sheep erythrocytes(red blood cells).[1] In contrast, human coronaviruses do not haemagglutinate with chick erythrocytes.[2] 

 These findings are reminiscent of the interpretaton by Yang(2013) about 'Passover and Blood of Sheep or Goat'.[3] 

 The story about 'Passover and Blood of Sheep or Goat' is below: 

 In chapter 12: verse 5th ~ 7th of Exodus, Bible says, "5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6; Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs".

 There is a question, "why did God designate the blood of lamb or goat for doorframe painting?”.

 In that time of Exodus, there should be poultry and animals besides sheep and goat.

 If the stickiness of blood is enough for removing infectious microbial pathogens, why did God designate specifically the blood of lamb or goat?

 Concerning this question, I think the blood painted on doorframe even at night can be dry in some degree. In the partial dry state, the microbial organisms attached within blood can be detached and easily floated into the air. The microbial-contaminated air can be inhaled into the lung of the Israelite and cause an infectious state.

 To overcome this problem, the blood of lamb or goat should have a certain specific attribute to seize microbial organism, even in the dry state of the blood.

 Regarding this problem, there is an interesting report by Medeiros et al (2001. Virology 289:74-85).[4] Medeiros et al found influenza virus particles stick to the RBCs (Red Blood Cell) in the blood of lamb or goat and aggregates RBCs (termed 'agglutination'). In contrast, the RBCs in the blood of chicken does not cause this reaction. As inferred from this fact, there must be specificity in each species of animal or poultry, in RBC agglutination to particular microbial pathogens.

 So I think God may order the blood of lamb or goat to remove the particular microbial pathogens at the Passover day night.

Through the stickiness and the RBC agglutination of the blood of lamb or goat, it is more likely that the amount of filtered microbial pathogens may work as a vaccine effect.

 In the chapter 12 of Exodus in the old testament, verse 12th and 13th, the Bible says, "12 on that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn - both men and animals - and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

 Although there can be other pathogens and view points to be considered, the plausible facts of haemagglutination with sheep erythrocytes and the rapid occurrence of death overnight seem to be similar to those of COVID-19 infection.

REFERENCE:

1. Hierholzer JC, Tannock GA. Quantitation of antibody to non-hemagglutinating 

viruses by single radial hemolysis: serological test for human coronaviruses. J Clin Microbiol. 1977 Jun;5(6):613-20.

2. Gerdes JC, Klein I, DeVald BL, Burks JS. Coronavirus isolates SK and SD from multiple sclerosis patients are serologically related to murine coronaviruses A59 and JHM and human coronavirus OC43, but not to human coronavirus 229E. J 
Virol. 1981 Apr;38(1):231-8.

3. Yang SW. Episode 2. Passover and Blood of Sheep or Goat. PASSOVER DAY – Medical Interpretation by a Pathologist (English). Copyright (C-2013-017025) 

4. Medeiros R, Escriou N, Naffakh N, Manuguerra JC, van der Werf S. Hemagglutinin residues of recent human A(H3N2) influenza viruses that contribute to the inability to agglutinate chicken erythrocytes. Virology. 2001 Oct 
10;289(1):74-85.