(ANSA) - SIENA, 06 DEC - The discovery of a specific presence of immune cells in patients suffering from Covid graviform opens up important perspectives in the prognosis and treatment of the disease. The scientific study, published in 'Cell', was conducted in Siena, in the Uoc Malatti of the Respiratory System of the Senese Le Scotte University Hospital, and was coordinated by Professor Elena Bargagli, head of the regional reference center for rare pulmonary diseases, together with researcher Laura Bergantini. The experiments relating to the study of immunological responses in patients hospitalized for Covid interstitial pneumonia were conducted at the Laboratory of Assistance and Translational Research, directed by Professor Francesco Dotta.
"The study - explains Bargagli - has shown that some immune cells, such as specific subsets of Natural Killer cells and T cells, are exclusively present in patients with severe disease, with interstitial pneumonia, and can represent future treatment targets. In particular, these are cells. that normally intervene in the body's defense in the presence of viral, bacterial or tumor forms in patients with severe forms of Covid are present, more abundantly, in a specific subtype, a phenomenon that we have already observed in patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosipulmonary ".
"In summary, these cells from simple indicators of immune response can become markers of prognosis and potential treatment targets. The future prospect - he continues - is to evaluate at the peripheral level the presence of these subgroups of cells, belonging to the white blood cell family, in patients with Covid to be able to have an indicator of prognosis, understand the cases that can worsen and personalize the therapy to avoid bad outcomes ".
(HANDLE).