During the acute and post-recovery phases, COVID-19 infection can lead to severe bone loss, which caused the inflammatory activation of bone resorption cells.
During the acute and post-recovery phases, COVID-19 infection can lead to severe bone loss. This is caused due to inflammatory activation of bone resorption cells, said researchers from the University of Hong Kong.
‘The pathological bone loss may be an important but neglected complication, which warrants more extensive investigations during the long-term follow-up of Covid-19 patients.’
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, provide insights into the possible long-term complications of COVID-19. Covid survivors were so far known to experience debilitating, lingering symptoms that affect the heart, brain, lungs, and other parts of the body. However, the full spectrum of clinical manifestations, especially the influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on bone metabolism, has yet to be fully understood.
COVID-19’s Effect on Bones
To study the effects of Covid infection on bone metabolism, Syrian hamsters were intranasally challenged with SARS-CoV-2, and then their bone tissues were collected serially after the infection.Using three-dimensional micro-computerized tomography scans, the research team identified that SARS-CoV-2 infection had induced severe bone loss from 20% to 50% progressively, particularly the trabecular bone in the long bones lumbar vertebrae.
This effect extended from the acute phase to the chronic phase of infection. The pathological osteopenia — in which the protein and mineral content of bone tissue is reduced — was found to be associated with the inflammatory activation of osteoclasts — a kind of cell responsible for bone resorption.
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Source-IANS