New York: Cigarette smoke spurs the lungs to make more of receptor protein. This protein comes in handy for the novel coronavirus to enter human cells. A recent study suggests that quitting smoking might reduce the risk of a severe coronavirus infection. The findings have been published in the journal ‘Developmental Cell’. It explains why smokers appear to be particularly vulnerable to severe COVID-19 disease. All the reason more to quit smoking.
Reasons why smokers are more vulnerable to COVID-19
“Our results provide a clue as to why smokers who develop COVID-19 tend to have poor clinical outcomes,” said study senior author Jason Sheltzer. He is a cancer geneticist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States.
“We found that smoking caused a significant increase in the expression of ACE2. It is the protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter human cells,” Sheltzer informed.
Reasons to kick the butt
According to the scientists, quitting smoking might reduce the risk of a severe coronavirus infection. They said most individuals infected with the virus suffer only mild illness, if they experience any at all. However, for smokers it is a different tale altogether.
The researchers said that in particular, three groups can be severely hit by the coronavirus. They are – obese men, the elderly, and smokers.
First, the researchers said, they focused on comparing gene activity in the lungs. The research was spread across different ages, between the sexes and between smokers and non-smokers. According to Sheltzer, smokers produced 30-55 per cent more ACE2 than their non-smoking counterparts.
The researchers said they found no evidence that age or sex impacts ACE2 levels in the lungs. However, the influence of smoke exposure was surprisingly strong.
The study noted that the most prolific producers of ACE2 in the airways are mucus-producing cells called goblet cells. Smoking is known to increase the prevalence of such cells, the scientists said.
Influence of mucus cells
“Goblet cells produce mucous to protect the respiratory tract from inhaled irritants. Thus, the increased expression of ACE2 in smokers’ lungs could be a byproduct of smoking-induced secretory cell hyperplasia,” Sheltzer explained.
However, Sheltzer said other studies on the effects of cigarette smoke have shown mixed results. “Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of different chemicals. It’s possible that certain ingredients like nicotine have a different effect than whole smoke does,” he said.
Agencies