Posted on 08/11/2021 8:39:00 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
One of the big COVID-19 mysteries is why some people suffer severe illness, while others experience mild colds. Research about reactive T cells produced during infection with other beta coronaviruses — which could explain a level of mitigating immunity for some people — has appeared in journals. Age certainly seems to be a significant risk factor. However, nothing to date explained all differences or provided any insight into which patients may suffer from severe disease.
Now researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have found a specific and sensitive biomarker that may provide more insight:
In a new retrospective study, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) discovered a specific and sensitive biomarker in blood samples that predicts which patients will develop COVID-19 symptoms. Their results, published online on July 9 in Scientific Reports, show that reduced levels of a specific lipid, sphingosine, are significantly associated with developing COVID-19 symptoms. Conversely, elevated levels of sphingosine, as well as a protein involved in its production, acid ceramidase (AC), are associated with asymptomatic infections.
Sphingosine is one lipid in the class called sphingolipids. These molecules are important to the integrity of the cell membrane, which viruses must penetrate to hijack the cell processes in order to replicate. Sphingolipids also facilitate communication between cells and regulate inflammation and the immune response to various infections. The MUSC Ogretmen Lab has decades of experience measuring different lipids using a standard scale.
Inflammation is a known feature of severe COVID-19 and mortality, and clinicians believe it is caused by an immune system overreaction in the lungs. This reaction is sometimes referred to as a cytokine storm. The MUSC Lab performed an analysis of patient serum samples from the COVID-19 repository to look specifically for changes in sphingolipid levels.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
“I have taken the protocol that is now commonly known from the earliest outbreaks in the US...”
Which protocol was that?
Vitamin D
As for foods to increase sphingosine: eggs, cheese, cream and sweet potatoes. Hmmm, sweet potatoes Au gratin? But don’t eat too much or the BMI will rise, and that’s not a good bio marker for severe Covid.
Let’s see if this work gets recognized and extended or ignored as if it never happened.
Will fauci and ilk rush in to ban the tests because it will show that most everyone will be fine and won’t need vaccine?
“Sphingolipids are commonly believed to protect the cell surface against harmful environmental factors by forming a mechanically stable and chemically resistant outer leaflet of the plasma membrane lipid bilayer. Certain complex glycosphingolipids were found to be involved in specific functions, such as cell recognition and signaling. Cell recognition depends mainly on the physical properties of the sphingolipids, whereas signaling involves specific interactions of the glycan structures of glycosphingolipids with similar lipids present on neighboring cells or with proteins.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphingolipid#Functions_of_mammalian_sphingolipids
The common thread seems to be to keep inflammation under control.
This is way, way out of scope of anything that I've ever studied, but a duckduckgo search seemingly questions vitamin D3 in connection with production of chemicals sphingosine and acid ceramidase.
"In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vitamin D supplementation would alter circulating long-chain ceramides and related metabolites involved in sphingolipid [emphases added] metabolism in humans." -- Vitamin D3 Supplementation Increases Long-Chain Ceramide Levels in Overweight/Obese African Americans: A Post-Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial (4.2.20)
I don't know what the conclusion was.
Corrections, insights welcome.
Drink milk.
In that regard I am a 70+ year old kid, having never lost my appreciation for milk.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/02/black-death-left-mark-human-genome
The Black Death didn’t just wipe out millions of Europeans during the 14th century. It left a mark on the human genome, favoring those who carried certain immune system genes, according to a new study. Those changes may help explain why Europeans respond differently from other people to some diseases and have different susceptibilities to autoimmune disorders.
Those with the right genetic background survived. The survival genetic information existed. The plague killed those that didn’t have it. There most likely was environmental and nutritional factors. It is selection not mutation of existing gene information. Genetic selection is a much better word than mutation. We learned this basis stuff in science 101 with Mendel.
I call this devolution, we lost genetic information but there is some theory that all the junk DNA still has it and is still available if needed. Tremendous design.
Based on further reading; eggs, beef, chicken, cheese, butter, cream and soybeans All contain relatively high levels of it. It is also found in the body in LDL and VLDL cholesterol. Studies show it is also an important mediator of colon cancer and atherosclerosis.
Interesting.
Could you send a link to the study to which you are referring? TIA.
I was thinking poke salad, myself.
The “comorbidity” thing is a crock of shit.
Do you know what the mysterious link is between all those things? They are people that dont get outside much and have poor diets especially too many processed carbs.
Im in a medical related field, do you know who isnt coming in to work due to cooties? The young urban activity and diet sit in the basement and play on my phone/game system and eat dorritos crowd.
Do you know who is coming to work without symptoms and doing all the entry level work along with theirs? Rural (Wisconsin) 50+yo overweight diabetic chain smokers whos diets would include large amounts of eggs, cheese, cream, whole milk (vitD), and pickled herring (vitD) that spend their spare time working a small farm, hiking, fishing, wildcrafting and other outdoor activities.
Its not magic people, some have been saying this the whole time.
LOL. I’m an old white female who loves cats and my doc thinks my immune system is so strong I probably don’t need vax.
I would, however, like to know what to do to get this stuff
As for foods to increase sphingosine: eggs, cheese, cream and sweet potatoes.
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