id	author	title	date	pages	extension	mime	words	sentences	flesch	summary	cache	txt
cord-266558-vd41u2t1	Verdecchia, Paolo	The pivotal link between ACE2 deficiency and SARS-CoV-2 infection	2020-04-20		.txt	text/plain	4690	316	48	Clinical reports of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 show that several features associated with infection and severity of the disease (i.e., older age, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) share a variable degree of ACE2 deficiency. The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells is mediated by the efficient binding of the spike (S) viral protein, a 1273 amino acid long protein which belongs to the viral envelope and protrudes outwards with a 'corona' like appearance, to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. In the current pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 infection with associated pulmonary inflammation and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), it is interesting to note that angiotensin II also interferes with adaptive immunity by activating machrophages [24] and other cells of the immune system, with consequent increased production of IL-6, [25] TNFα and other inflammatory citokynes. The authors found that even the isolated spike viral protein induced down-regulation of ACE2 receptors with concomitant increase of angiotensin II in the lung tissue and precipitation of severe pulmonary inflammatory lesions.	./cache/cord-266558-vd41u2t1.txt	./txt/cord-266558-vd41u2t1.txt