Mahin Tavakoli - Invasive Fungi Center, Communicable Diseases Research Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Tahereh Shokohi - Invasive Fungi Center, Communicable Diseases Research Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Cornelia Lass-Flörl - Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Mohammad Taghi Hedayati - Invasive Fungi Center, Communicable Diseases Research Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Martin Hoenigl - Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California

The world is involved with a pandemic coronavirus disease ۲۰۱۹ (COVID-۱۹) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ۲. The clinical manifestations of reported COVID-۱۹-associated pulmonary impairments range from asymptomatic infections to a pneumonia-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome that requires mechanical ventilation. Fungal superinfections complicating the clinical course remain underexplored. Angiotensin-converting enzyme ۲, the receptor for COVID-۱۹ that is mainly expressed in airway epithelia and lung parenchyma, is considered an important regulator of innate immunity. With regard to the viral-cell interaction, imbalanced immune regulation between protective and altered responses caused by the exacerbation of inflammatory responses should be considered a major contributor to secondary pulmonary aspergillosis. In addition, the complex inherited factors, age-related changes, and lifestyle may also affect immune responses. The complication and persistence of invasive aspergillosis have been well described in patients with severe influenza or COVID-۱۹. However, there is a scarcity of information about the immunological mechanisms predisposing patients with COVID-۱۹ to fungal co-infections. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the aforementioned domain.

Aspergillosis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Immune responses, SARS-CoV-۲