Nanocurcumin improves Treg cell responses in patients with mild and severe SARS-CoV2

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) 2021-07, Vol.276, p.119437-119437, Article 119437
• Main Authors: Tahmasebi, Safa, Saeed, Balsam Qubais, Temirgalieva, Elmira, Yumashev, Alexei Valerievich, El-Esawi, Mohamed A., Navashenaq, Jamshid Gholizadeh, Valizadeh, Hamed, Sadeghi, Armin, Aslani, Saeed, Yousefi, Mehdi, Jadidi-Niaragh, Farhad, Adigozalou, Javad, Ahmadi, Majid, Roshangar, Leila
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Chemical compounds; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 - virology; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Curcumin - pharmacology; Cytokine; Cytokines; Cytokines - drug effects; Cytokines - immunology; Female; Forkhead protein; Forkhead Transcription Factors - genetics; Forkhead Transcription Factors - metabolism; Foxp3 protein; Gene expression; Gene Expression - drug effects; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin 10; Interleukin-10 - immunology; Interleukins - immunology; Lymphocytes T; Male; Middle Aged; Nanocurcumin; Nanomedicine - methods; Pharmacology; Placebos; Pretreatment; Regulatory T cell; RNA, Viral - metabolism; SARS-CoV-2 - drug effects; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; SARS-CoV2; Serum levels; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; Th17 Cells - immunology; Transcription factor; Transforming Growth Factor beta - immunology; Viral diseases
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119437

In Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a decreased number of regulatory T (Treg) cells and their mediated factors lead to a hyperinflammatory state due to overactivation of the inflammatory cells and factors during the infection. In the current study, we evaluated the Nanocurcumin effects on the Treg cell population and corresponding factors in mild and severe COVID-19 patients. To investigate the Nanocurcumin effects, 80 COVID-19 patients (40 at the severe stage and 40 at the mild stage) were selected and classified into Nanocurcumin and placebo arms. In both the Nanocurcumin and placebo groups, the Treg cell frequency, the gene expression of Treg transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FoxP3), and cytokines (IL-10, IL-35, and TGF-β), as well as the serum levels of cytokines were measured before and after treatment. In both mild and severe COVID-19 patients, Nanocurcumin could considerably upregulate the frequency of Treg cells, the expression levels of FoxP3, IL-10, IL-35, and TGF-β, as well as the serum secretion levels of cytokines in the Nanocurcumin-treated group compared to the placebo group. The abovementioned factors were remarkably increased in the post-treatment with Nanocurcumin before pre-treatment conditions. By contrast, it has been observed no notable alteration in the placebo group. Our findings revealed the SinaCurcumin® effective function in a significant increase in the number of Treg cells and their mediated factors in the Nanocurcumin group than in the placebo group in both mild and severe patients. Hence, it would be an efficient therapeutic agent in rehabilitating COVID-19 infected patients. •In COVID-19, a decreased number of regulatory T (Treg) cells and their mediated factors lead to a hyperinflammatory state.•Hyper inflammatory state is derived from overactivation of the inflammatory cells and factors during the infection.•Nanocurcumin product is a nano range formulation of curcumin with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.•Nanocurcumin could increase the frequency of Treg cells and Treg cell-mediated anti-inflammatory factors.•Nanocurcumin would be a therapeutic agent by increasing the Treg cell responses and reducing the inflammation in SARS-CoV2.