In Fighting COVID-19, The Body’s Immune Response Is More Important Than a Strong Immunity

Virologists and infectologists from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) have completed a study where data and biological samples from COVID-19 patients will help them predict the course of the disease in patients from different risk groups. The study will help doctors choose the most appropriate treatments and aid further research. Funding for the study and to collect patients’ biological samples was provided by The Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation.

During this study, researchers examined Latvian patients’ biological material. The samples were collected at the Riga East University Hospital. As a result of the study, a biomaterial bank has been created holding 168 patients’ information. The bank can be used to identify various biological factors related to COVID-19. The researchers aimed to find out changes to levels of several molecules in the immune system. Genetic data from the immune system have been obtained, which makes it possible to identify people who need more intensive monitoring and treatment.

‘When the body first encounters a virus, bacteria or a parasite, the immune system is ready to fight. Cytokine molecules develop that send a cascade of signals that the immune response needs develop. Usually – the stronger the response, the greater the chances of the infection being defeated. However, in some cases, as can be observed in patients infected with the novel coronavirus, an overreaction (a "cytokine storm" that goes on for too long) causes damage to the internal organs, such as the lungs and/or the liver. In severe cases this has resulted in a patient's death. High level of cytokines in the blood cause an immune attack on the body’s own cells and tissues. In the study, we looked for factors that would make it possible to predict a fatal outcome. We can now say that when you fall ill with COVID-19, it is more important for the body to have a correct, timely and proportionate immune response, rather than having a strong immunity,’ explains Dr. med. Jeļena Eglīte.

The patients’ material that was obtained in the study was funded by The Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation. It can be used for further COVID-19 studies in Latvia and internationally.

Prof. Ludmila Vīksna, Head of the Department of Infectology at RSU says: ‘The Boris and Inara Teterev Foundation's support for the containment and research of COVID-19 is highly valued also from a humanitarian point of view. It has provided us with the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of the unknown yet forecast-relevant immune status of the disease, as well as to create a collection of biological material. This is a really great asset not only in the current situation, but also for the future’.