Evaluation of the alterations in the oral mucosas immune/systemic inflammatory response in elderly patients co-infected by sarcscov-2 and cytomegalovirus

Abstract

The world is facing a pandemic originated by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, agent of the disease named COVID-19. It has been documented that the older adults are not only considered the most affected portion of the population, but also the one which accounts for the higher number of deaths. Recent studies point out a greater aggravation of the disease in older adults, consequent of the steep decline of the immunological responses from the mucous membranes, especially the ones from the upper respiratory tract, associated with ageing. This immunosenescence is correlated with inflammaging, a silent, chronic inflammation related to ageing that will compromise the immune response. Such factor is linked to the cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpes virus. It's proposed that the CMV could be an important factor in the triggering of the inflamagging. In such way, the development of the immunosenescence could be favored. With this information, this study aims to investigate the impact of the coinfection by the SARS-CoV-2 and the CMV regarding the immune/inflaming responses of the mucosa in the oral cavity of older adults. To do so, saliva samples of 120 older adults of both sexes in different stages of the disease (the acute phase and the recovery phase) will be collected. The volunteers will be grouped according to the symptomatology: Mild COVID-19 group (n=30), moderate COVID-19 group (n=30), severe COVID-19 group, non-COVID-19 group and CMV (n=30). The samples will be processed and storaged in Unisa's research laboratory for further determination of antimicrobial and cytokine peptide levels, as well as for the evaluation of the concentration and neutralizing capacity of specific antibodies for SARS-COV-2 (IgA, IgM e IgG).