key: cord-1037465-ejm22dfu
authors: Taxonera, Carlos; Alba, Cristina
title: Letter: SARS‐CoV‐2 induced gastrointestinal inflammation—authors' reply
date: 2020-11-18
journal: Aliment Pharmacol Ther
DOI: 10.1111/apt.16117
sha: 8095013dba70d296f7cc4e056e31609fbfc46317
doc_id: 1037465
cord_uid: ejm22dfu

LINKED CONTENT This article is linked to Taxonera et al and Reuken et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15804 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16087

COVID-19 non-IBD patients whose diarrhoea had resolved, and even higher levels in those with ongoing diarrhoea when compared with COVID-19 patients without diarrhoea. 5 In both studies, faecal calprotectin concentrations were associated with higher serum interleukin-6 concentration, indicating more severe systemic inflammation. 1, 5 This finding raises the possibility that patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection causing relevant intestinal inflammation may potentially have more severe COVID-19. Conversely, a recently published study reported that among COVID-19 patients, the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea was associated with a trend towards lower intensive care unit admission rate and lower mortality during short-term follow-up. 6 Furthermore, patients with IBD, who often have diarrhoea as a presenting symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection, do not appear to have an increased risk of progression to severe forms of COVID-19. 7, 8 It has been proposed that maintenance therapy with biologics in IBD patients, and anti-TNF agents in particular, may also play a protective role for severe COVID-19. 9 These combined findings may suggest that gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea indicating significant gastrointestinal inflammation can be associated with a more indolent form of COVID-19, although this hypothesis needs to be further evaluation in larger studies.

The authors thank Dr G. Morley for reviewing the English manuscript.

The authors' declarations of personal and financial interests are unchanged from those in the original article. 2 

Letter: SARS-CoV-2 induced gastrointestinal inflammation

novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Evidence for gastrointestinal infection of SARS-CoV-2

Imbalance of the renin-angiotensin system may contribute to inflammation and fibrosis in IBD: a novel therapeutic target?

Faecal calprotectin indicates intestinal inflammation in COVID-19

AP&T correspondence columns are restricted to letters discussing papers that have been published in the journal. A letter must have a maximum of 500 words, may contain one table or figure, and should have no more than 10 references

Gastrointestinal symptoms and coronavirus disease 2019: a case-control study from the United States

Outcomes of COVID-19 in 79 patients with IBD in Italy: an IG-IBD study

Characteristics and prognosis of patients with inflammatory bowel disease during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the Basque Country (Spain)

but not TNF antagonists, are associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: results from an International Registry