Can Levamisole be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients presenting with diarrhea?

Authors

  • Oğuz Abdullah Uyaroğlu Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
  • Gülay Sain Güven Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
  • İbrahim Güllü Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.13101

Keywords:

Levamisole, COVID-19, Diarrhea

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first identified in Wuhan, China, on Jan 7, 2020. Over the following months, the virus rapidly spread throughout the world. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) can involve the gastrointestinal tract, including symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and shedding of the SARS-CoV-2 in feces. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein, which has been proven to be a cell receptor for SARS-CoV-2, is expressed in the glandular cells of gastric, duodenal, and rectal epithelia, supporting the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the host cells. According to the literature, rates of COVID-19 patients reporting diarrhea were between 7 - 14%. Diarrhea in the course of COVID-19 disease can cause dehydration and hospitalization. Although no antiviral drug was specifically designed for the treatment of diarrhea, several molecules could have beneficial effects by reducing viral replication. In this letter, we discussed the Levamisole, which is an anthelmintic agent with immunomodulatory effects, could be used effectively both for antiviral therapy and especially in COVID-19 patients with diarrhea.

Downloads

Published

2020-08-31

How to Cite

1.
Uyaroğlu OA, Güven GS, Güllü İbrahim (2020) Can Levamisole be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients presenting with diarrhea?. J Infect Dev Ctries 14:844–846. doi: 10.3855/jidc.13101

Issue

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic