CONTROVERSIAL ROLE OF ACE2 IN SARS-COV-2 INFECTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Bibliographic Review: Coronavirus-19 Disease (COVID-19) presents a clinical spectrum from oligosymptomatic to severe and multisystemic inflammation, which may be followed by death. SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has as its main human receptor the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is also crucial in the control of the inflammatory response, through the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System ( RAAS). Objective:  Due to the controversial roles of ACE2 in SARS-CoV-2 infection, the aim of this literature review was to address its distribution in the human body, associating it with the severity of COVID-19. Thus, using the terms ACE2, SARS-CoV-2 and Coronavirus, a search was performed on the SciELO, PubMed and Scopus platforms. The research revealed that the aggressiveness of SARS-CoV-2 is related to its ability to interact with the host and, consequently, with ACE2 - widely distributed in organs and tissues. Final Considerations: However, since COVID-19 is an inflammatory disease, and ACE2 is critical in controlling inflammation, especially in RAAS, the data compiled in this review infers that ACE2 is more likely to act as a protective factor, against the severity of COVID-19.