Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Inmaculada, 22, 28029, Barcelona, Spain.
Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Santa Rosa, 39-57, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950, Barcelona, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 12;13(1):5985. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-31911-2.
This study aimed to investigate the association between saliva soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children and adults. We selected a convenience sample of adults with post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and their household children living in quarantined family households of the metropolitan Barcelona region (Spain) during the spring 2020 pandemic national lockdown. Participants were tested for saliva sACE2 quantification by western blot and nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR detection. A total of 161 saliva samples [82 (50.9%) from children; 79 (49.1%) from females] yielded valid western blot and RT-PCR results. Saliva sACE2 was detected in 79 (96.3%) children and 76 (96.2%) convalescent adults. Twenty (24.4%) children and 20 (25.3%) convalescent adults were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharynx by RT-PCR. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-negative children had a significantly higher mean proportional level of saliva sACE2 (0.540 × 10%) than RT-PCR-positive children (0.192 × 10%, p < 0.001) and convalescent adults (0.173 × 10%, p < 0.001). In conclusion, children negative for nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR appear to exhibit a higher concentration of saliva sACE2 than SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-positive children and convalescent adults. Release of adequate levels of sACE2 in saliva could play a protective role against SARS-CoV-2.
本研究旨在探讨唾液可溶性血管紧张素转换酶 2（sACE2）与儿童和成人严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）感染之间的关系。我们选择了在 2020 年春季大流行国家封锁期间，居住在巴塞罗那大都市区（西班牙）隔离家庭中的急性 SARS-CoV-2 感染后成年人及其家庭儿童作为便利样本。通过 Western blot 检测唾液 sACE2 定量，并用鼻咽 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR 检测。共检测了 161 份唾液样本[82 份（50.9%）来自儿童；79 份（49.1%）来自女性]，Western blot 和 RT-PCR 结果有效。在 79 名（96.3%）儿童和 76 名（96.2%）康复成年人中检测到唾液 sACE2。20 名（24.4%）儿童和 20 名（25.3%）康复成年人鼻咽 RT-PCR 检测 SARS-CoV-2 呈阳性。RT-PCR 阴性儿童的唾液 sACE2 比例水平（0.540×10%）显著高于 RT-PCR 阳性儿童（0.192×10%，p<0.001）和康复成年人（0.173×10%，p<0.001）。总之，鼻咽 RT-PCR 检测 SARS-CoV-2 阴性的儿童唾液 sACE2 浓度似乎高于 RT-PCR 阳性的儿童和康复成年人。唾液中释放足够水平的 sACE2 可能对 SARS-CoV-2 发挥保护作用。
