Recent studies show that the metabolic characteristics of different leukocytes, such as, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages, undergo changes both in the face of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) condition. Thus, the objective of this review is to establish a correlation between the metabolic changes caused in leukocytes in DM2 and obesity that may favor a worse prognosis during SARS-Cov-2 infection. Chronic inflammation and hyperglycemia, specific and usual characteristics of obesity and DM2, contributes for the SARS-CoV-2 replication and metabolic disturbances in different leukocytes, favoring the proinflammatory response of these cells. Thus, obesity and DM2 are important risk factors for pro-inflammatory response and metabolic dysregulation that can favor the occurrence of the cytokine storm, implicated in the severity and high mortality risk of the COVID-19 in these patients.
Keywords: SARS-COV-2; insulin resistance; lymphocyte; macrophage; neutrophil.
Copyright © 2022 Lobato, Gennari-Felipe, Pauferro, Correa, Salgado, Dias, de Oliveira Borges, dos Santos, de Sousa Santos, de Araújo, Ferreira, Pereira, Serdan, Levada-Pires, Hatanaka, Borges, Cury-Boaventura, Vinolo, Pithon-Curi, Masi, Curi, Hirabara and Gorjao.