Pancreas and Coronavirus Disease-2019.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus affects many other organs than lung and upper airways. Gastrointestinal system appears to be affected both in the upper and in the lower portions. Moreover, hepatic, myocardial, and renal involvements are reported. Furthermore, pancreas can be affected in coronavirus disease-2019 and the presence of SARS-COV-2 in the pancreatic tissue has been confirmed during autopsy.
This is related to the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 receptor localized both in the exocrine and endocrine parts of pancreas. Thus, Yang et al and colleagues reported frequent hyperglycemia in SARS-COV infections that can be related to damage of pancreatic islets.
Following, I presented a brief review of the few papers described the potential relationship between COVID-19 and pancreas. Liu et al and colleagues confirmed that the possible pancreatic damage of SARS-COV-2 infection may be related to ACE-2 expression and assessed that expression of this receptor
is higher in the pancreas than in the lung according to ribonucleic acid analysis.
One hundred twenty-one COVID-19 positive patients of their
case series reported high-levels of amylase and lipase according to the severity of the disease; but pancreatic necrosis was not seen at imaging in the study. Moreover, the authors
pointed drug-induced pancreatic damage due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or glucocorticoids as possible confounding
factor.
It was also underlined that the prolonged effect on pancreas could cause a worsening of systemic
inflammation and acute respiratory distress syndrome and could evolve in chronic
pancreatitis.
Pancreas Open J. 2020; 4(1): 1-2. doi: 10.17140/POJ-4-111
