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Eur J Pediatr
. 2020 Oct 13.
doi: 10.1007/s00431-020-03841-y. Online ahead of print.
What chances do children have against COVID-19? Is the answer hidden within the thymus?
Hatice G?neş 1 , Serpil Din?er 1 , Can Acıpayam 2 , Sadık Yurttutan 3 , Mehmet Yaşar ?zkars 4
Affiliations
- PMID: 33047161
- DOI: 10.1007/s00431-020-03841-y
Abstract
A new type of coronavirus named as SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has begun to threaten human health. As with other types of coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 affects children less frequently, and it has been observed that the disease is mild. In the pathogenesis of a standard viral infection, the pathogen's contact with the mucosa is initially followed by an innate immunity response. T cells are the primary decisive element in adaptive immunity capability. For this reason, the adaptive immune response mediated by the thymus is a process that regulates the immune response responsible for preventing invasive damage from a virus. Regulatory T cells (T-reg) are active during the early periods of life and have precise roles in immunomodulation. The thymus is highly active in the intrauterine and neonatal period; it begins to shrink after birth and continues its activity until adolescence. The loss of T-reg function by age results in difficulty with the control of the immune response, increased inflammation as shown in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as an inflammatory storm. Also, the thymus is typically able to replace the T cells destroyed by apoptosis caused by the virus. Thymus and T cells are the key factors of pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in children.Conclusion: We speculated that thymus activity and T lymphocyte function in children protect them against the virus effects. Stimulating and preventing the inhibition of the thymus can be possible treatment components against COVID-19. What is Known: • The SARS-CoV-2 infection does not often progress with an invasive clinic in children. • Thymus activity and T lymphocyte functions are highly active in children. What is New: • Effective thymus activity and T lymphocyte function in children protect them against the invasive SARS-CoV-2 infection. • Stimulating and preventing the inhibition of the thymus can be possible treatment components against COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; Children; Coronavirus; Immunosenescence; SARS-CoV-2; Thymus.