Potential causes and consequences of gastrointestinal disorders during a SARS-CoV-2 infection

François Trottein (1) , Harry Sokol (2, 3, 4)

1 CIIL - Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille - INSERM U 1019 - UMR 9017 - UMR 8204
2 CRSA - Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine
3 MICALIS - MICrobiologie de l'ALImentation au Service de la Santé
4 CHU Saint-Antoine [AP-HP]

Coronaviruses cause several human diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome. The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a huge threat to humans. Intensive research on the pathogenic mechanisms used by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is urgently needed-notably to identify potential drug targets. Clinical studies of patients with COVID-19 have shown that gastrointestinal disorders appear to precede or follow the respiratory symptoms. Here, we review gastrointestinal disorders in patients with COVID-19, suggest hypothetical mechanisms leading to gut symptoms, and discuss the potential consequences of gastrointestinal disorders on the outcome of the disease. Lastly, we discuss the role of the gut microbiota during respiratory viral infections and suggest that targeting gut dysbiosis may help to control the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Mots clés: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; disease outcomes; gastrointestinal symptoms; gut microbiota; microbial dysbiosis

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

François Trottein, Harry Sokol. Potential causes and consequences of gastrointestinal disorders during a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cell Reports, 2020, 32 (3), pp.107915. ⟨10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107915⟩. ⟨hal-02934850⟩