IMR Press / FBL / Volume 28 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2803059
Open Access Review
The Role of Glutathione in Prevention of COVID-19 Immunothrombosis: A Review
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1 College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA
2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Corona Regional Medical Center, Corona, CA 92882, USA
3 Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Barnabas Hospital Health System, Bronx, NY 10457, USA
4 Your Energy System, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
*Correspondence: vvenketaraman@westernu.edu (Vishwanath Venketaraman)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2023, 28(3), 59; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2803059
Submitted: 13 February 2023 | Revised: 15 March 2023 | Accepted: 15 March 2023 | Published: 20 March 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Inflammatory and Metabolic Diseases)
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Immunothrombosis has emerged as a dominant pathological process exacerbating morbidity and mortality in acute- and long-COVID-19 infections. The hypercoagulable state is due in part to immune system dysregulation, inflammation and endothelial cell damage, as well as a reduction in defense systems. One defense mechanism in particular is glutathione (GSH), a ubiquitously found antioxidant. Evidence suggests that reduction in GSH increases viral replication, pro-inflammatory cytokine release, and thrombosis, as well as decreases macrophage-mediated fibrin removal. The collection of adverse effects as a result of GSH depletion in states like COVID-19 suggest that GSH depletion is a dominant mechanism of immunothrombosis cascade. We aim to review the current literature on the influence of GSH on COVID-19 immunothrombosis pathogenesis, as well as the beneficial effects of GSH as a novel therapeutic for acute- and long-COVID-19.

Keywords
glutathione
GSH
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
immunothrombosis
HIV
diabetes
microclot
thrombosis
Funding
R15 HL143545/HL/NHLBI/NIH
Figures
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