J Intern Med . PCSK9 inhibitors for COVID-19: An opportunity to enhance the antiviral action of interferon in patients with hypercholesterolemia

[tetano]

J Intern Med


. 2020 Nov 21.
doi: 10.1111/joim.13210. Online ahead of print.
PCSK9 inhibitors for COVID-19: An opportunity to enhance the antiviral action of interferon in patients with hypercholesterolemia


Alpo Vuorio ^{1 2} , Petri T Kovanen ³



Affiliations

• PMID: 33222314
• DOI: 10.1111/joim.13210

Abstract

A beneficial role for an efficient lowering of plasma cholesterol level in hypercholesterolemic patients with COVID-19, and especially in those with severe hypercholesterolemia since birth, i.e., patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), has been suggested recently [1, 2]. FH patients suffer from endothelial dysfunction caused by a highly elevated serum low-density cholesterol (LDL-C) level which is often accompanied by an elevated level of lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] [3].

Keywords: COVID-19; PCSK9 inhibitors; antiviral; cholesterol; coronavirus; interferon.