Gastric Ýntestinal Metaplasia and COVID 19 Infection

INTRODUCTION: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is defined as immigration of enteric or colonic mucosa within gastric lining. COVID 19, which has been a global issue since late 2019, causes mostly respiratory symptoms; however, some patients may present with gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting (5%) and abdominal pain ( 3.8%). A large Eestern study involving 78,985 patients revealed that prevalence of GIM in gastric biopsy specimens was 7%. We aimed found a clear association between acute COVID 19 infection and GIM in this work
METHODS: Between March and May 2020, we enrolled 39 patients with COVID 19 infection. An age-matched control group was selected from dyspeptic subjects without GIM. Gastroscopy with antral biopsy had been performed in all patients two years before pandemic began. All study subjects' histopathological records obtained by gastroscopic biopsy were evaluated and compared.
RESULTS: Data of 39 patients and 181 subjects were analyzed. Albumin and ferritin levels were found significantly lower and higher in patient group, respectively (p<0,05). MCV was higher in patient group (p<0,05). Intestinal metaplasia was found in 11 (28%) of 39 patients while in 7 (3,9%) of 181 controls (Table-2, p<0,05)
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: GIM and COVID 19 infection could share same underlying etiologies and GIM may be a harbour for virus at gastrointestinal tractus. Focus on GIM prevention may block an enterance point of COVID 19 infection. The data above suggests that GIM affects gastric mucosal tissue with formation of toxic products, which may play a potential pathogenic role in developing COVID 19 infection