This article comes from WeChat public account: Fruit Shell (ID: Guokr42) , author: Gu Chenguang

Most of the severe cases of new coronary pneumonia are elderly people or patients with other chronic underlying diseases, but there are also some people who are usually in good health and the disease progresses quickly, even life-threatening.

A recent study published in The Lancet pointed out that the levels of cytokines in patients with neonatal pneumonia in the intensive care unit were significantly higher than those in ordinary patients. It is inferred that the serious condition may be related to the cytokine storm (cytokine storm, CS) Related

Cytokine Storm 丨 Into the Eye of the Cytokine Storm

Not a disease, but an abnormal immune state

CS is not a disease, but a fatal, abnormal immune state . Under normal immune conditions, the immune system is in a controlled state and will not harm the body itself. In CS, immune cells (T cells, macrophages, and NK cells) rapidly proliferate and are highly activated, producing a large number of inflammatory factors and Chemical media. While killing pathogens, it also causes immune destruction to the host itself. [2] .

Summarize in one sentence, “Kill the enemy eight hundred, self-harm one thousand” Caused by some defects) .

In a normal immune state, the three cells mentioned above are our body’s immune forces. They have a powerful database that stores the characteristics of pathogens that the body has encountered in the past, which can be understood as “pathogen face recognition” functions. And for a new pathogen, they also have the ability of “Artificial Intelligence (AI) “. Through the process of identification, learning and transmission, Can quickly destroy new enemies.

Of course, success is also AI. If there are any problems in this process, AI may be indistinguishable. (Everyone can Naobu various sci-fi movies where robots rule and destroy humans) , with serious consequences.

Immune status difference between mild and severe 丨 Leptospirosis PathophysiologyInto the Storm of Cytokines

Why does a cytokine storm happen

The exact mechanism of CS is not clear at present, but the reasons for this error in the immune system may include the following.

1. The enemy is too cunning: The pathogen camouflages the characteristics or part of the characteristics of the host cell;

2. Careless yourself: The autoimmune system is defective. Some people ask, will people with immune deficiency grow up healthy? The answer is that if you do n’t meet a cunning enemy like New Crown Virus, maybe you will be safe for life;

3. An error occurred during a link in the information transmission process: Similar to the “funnel effect” of diminishing information transmission The amount of information will gradually decrease as people pass information. .

In short, any errors in these details may be fatal. Fortunately, this is unlikely to happen. A cytokine storm may occur in many diseases

Immunology and hematologists have rich experience in storm chasing. CS often occurs in the active phase of some serious diseases, such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. (HLH) , macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) , cytokine release syndrome (CRS) , etc. (a kind of The method of information transmission is similar to the beacon principle) , which enables infected epithelial cells and immune cells of the body to produce about 15 cytokines, helping to resist the virus.

Where Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Activate immune cells (T cells and macrophages) , clearing virus-infected cells is the main force of this wave of cytokines; type I and type III interferons “label =” Remarks “> (IFN) affects viral RNA synthesis. This first wave of cytokines is called the “primary storm” and played a key role in reducing viral replication in the early stages, but also laid the groundwork for the subsequent over-activation of the immune system.

Subsequently, T cells are activated and differentiated, secreting a second wave of cytokines, of which Interferon-γ (IFN-γ ) is the main force of this wave of cytokines. It is often this secondary storm that is fatal. At this time, the cytokine level has exceeded the need to clear the virus, which will cause excessive inflammatory cell aggregation.

If a large number of inflammatory cells accumulate in the alveoli, it will lead to decreased oxygenation function and cause respiratory failure. This may also be the cause of sudden exacerbation in some cases. [4] .

This article comes from public micro-channel number: husk (ID: Guokr42) , author: Gu Chenguang < img id = "js_weapp_without_auth_weappurl" src class = "dialog_add_wxxy_qrcode_icon">