The lungs of some critically ill COVID-19 patients have been reported to be deficient in surfactant, and a new study finds the coronavirus triggers the immune system to attack surfactant-producing pneumocytes. As reported on Sunday on medRxiv ahead of peer review, when they exposed healthy human lung tissue to plasma from COVID-19 patients, they saw IgA antibodies in the plasma binding to pneumocytes — although that was only true for plasma from critically ill patients. In autopsies of deceased COVID-19 patients, the researchers found "remarkably reduced" levels of surfactant in the lungs. Other research teams have been planning trials to see if treatment with artificial surfactant will help ease breathing problems in severely ill COVID-19 patients. The authors of the new report say further study is also needed to see whether treatment with immunosuppressive medications might be another way to protect surfactant-producing proteins. —Reuters Staff Source
