Effects of COVID-19 on Multiple Sclerosis Relapse: A Comprehensive Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2022.1241Keywords:
Blood-Brain Barrier, Coronavirus Disease-2019, Disease Exacerbation, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurologic Symptoms, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. It is characterized by demyelinating lesions throughout the central nervous system. Patients with multiple sclerosis are a vulnerable population to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). This review focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on relapse and symptom exacerbation in multiple sclerosis patients and their treatment. It highlights how the blood-brain barrier may be compromised by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), allowing inflammatory mediators and lymphocytes to infiltrate the central nervous system. This may increase the risk of relapse in multiple sclerosis patients. Also, in patients with no prior history of multiple sclerosis, COVID-19 has been found to impact multiple sclerosis onset and pathogenesis. However, more comprehensive research is required to fully understand the interplay between multiple sclerosis and COVID-19.
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