SARS-CoV-2 infection and its effects on the endocrine system

Charlotte Steenblock; Nicole Toepfner; Felix Beuschlein; Nikolaos Perakakis; Ranjit Mohan Anjana; Viswanathan Mohan; Nitish R Mahapatra; Stefan R Bornstein

doi:10.1016/j.beem.2023.101761

SARS-CoV-2 infection and its effects on the endocrine system

Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Jul;37(4):101761. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2023.101761. Epub 2023 Mar 5.

Authors

Charlotte Steenblock¹, Nicole Toepfner², Felix Beuschlein³, Nikolaos Perakakis⁴, Ranjit Mohan Anjana⁵, Viswanathan Mohan⁵, Nitish R Mahapatra⁶, Stefan R Bornstein⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine III, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: charlotte.steenblock@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
² Department of Pediatrics, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
³ Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH), Zürich, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine III, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID), Helmholtz Center Munich, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany.
⁵ Department of Diabetology, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁶ Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India.
⁷ Department of Internal Medicine III, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine and Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can infect multiple tissues, including endocrine organs, such as the pancreas, adrenal, thyroid, and adipose tissue. The main receptor for SARS-CoV-2, ACE2, is ubiquitously expressed in the cells of the endocrine organs and accordingly, the virus has been detected in various amounts in all endocrine tissues in post-mortem samples from COVID-19 patients. The infection with SARS-CoV-2 may directly lead to organ damage or dysfunction, such as hyperglycaemia or in rare cases, new-onset diabetes. Furthermore, an infection with SARS-CoV-2 may have indirect effects affecting the endocrine system. The exact mechanisms are not yet completely understood and have to be further investigated. Conversely, endocrine diseases may affect the severity of COVID-19 and emphasis has to be laid on reducing the prevalence, or enhance the treatment, of these often non-communicable diseases in the future.

Keywords: ACE2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; autoimmune; endocrine; metabolic.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
COVID-19*
Endocrine Glands*
Humans
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2