Evidence-Based Considerations Exploring Relations between SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Air Pollution: Involvement of PM2.5-Mediated Up-Regulation of the Viral Receptor ACE-2

Marina Borro, Paolo Di Girolamo, Giovanna Gentile, Ottavia De Luca, Robert Preissner, Adriano Marcolongo, Stefano Ferracuti and Maurizio Simmaco
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Marina Borro: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
Paolo Di Girolamo: School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, viale dell’Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Giovanna Gentile: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
Ottavia De Luca: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
Robert Preissner: Structural Bioinformatics Group, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Philippstr. 12, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Adriano Marcolongo: General Direction, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
Stefano Ferracuti: Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Maurizio Simmaco: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Sant’Andrea, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: The COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 pandemic struck health, social and economic systems worldwide, and represents an open challenge for scientists —coping with the high inter-individual variability of COVID-19, and for policy makers —coping with the responsibility to understand environmental factors affecting its severity across different geographical areas. Air pollution has been warned of as a modifiable factor contributing to differential SARS-CoV-2 spread but the biological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon are still unknown. Air quality and COVID-19 epidemiological data from 110 Italian provinces were studied by correlation analysis, to evaluate the association between particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentrations and incidence, mortality rate and case fatality risk of COVID-19 in the period 20 February–31 March 2020. Bioinformatic analysis of the DNA sequence encoding the SARS-CoV-2 cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) was performed to identify consensus motifs for transcription factors mediating cellular response to pollutant insult. Positive correlations between PM 2.5 levels and the incidence (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001), the mortality rate (r = 0.65, p < 0.0001) and the case fatality rate (r = 0.7, p < 0.0001) of COVID-19 were found. The bioinformatic analysis of the ACE-2 gene identified nine putative consensus motifs for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Our results confirm the supposed link between air pollution and the rate and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection and support the hypothesis that pollution-induced over-expression of ACE-2 on human airways may favor SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; PM 2.5; angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; xenobiotic response element; aryl hydrocarbon receptor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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