Inflammation and high blood coagulation observed in very severe cases of COVID-19 may be caused by antibodies that provoke excessive platelet activity in the lungs. The reason for the dangerous complications was revealed by scientists of the Imperial College of London, who published an article in the magazine Blood.
In the course of the study, experts allocated antibodies to coronavirus S-protein in people with severe COVID-19 infection. It turned out that small fragments of sugars on the surface of antibodies differ from those in antibodies of healthy people. If these antibodies enter into the blood of healthy donors, the activity of platelets – cells responsible for blood clotting and preventing bleeding increases. However, an excessive reaction can be suppressed with drugs directed or on the platelets themselves, or to the immune system.
The results confirm that serious complications from coronavirus infection occur due to improper reaction of the immune system. In this case, the antibodies that are produced to stop COVID-19 from the further spread of the organism cells increase the activity of platelets and cause excess blood coagulation, as a result of which bunches are formed in the blood vessels. This explains why seriously ill with COVID-19 arise clomes.