AUTHOR=Llorens Sílvia , Nava Eduardo , Muñoz-López Mónica , Sánchez-Larsen Álvaro , Segura Tomás TITLE=Neurological Symptoms of COVID-19: The Zonulin Hypothesis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.665300 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2021.665300 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

The irruption of SARS-CoV-2 during 2020 has been of pandemic proportions due to its rapid spread and virulence. COVID-19 patients experience respiratory, digestive and neurological symptoms. Distinctive symptom as anosmia, suggests a potential neurotropism of this virus. Amongst the several pathways of entry to the nervous system, we propose an alternative pathway from the infection of the gut, involving Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), zonulin, protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and zonulin brain receptor. Possible use of zonulin antagonists could be investigated to attenuate neurological manifestations caused by SARS-CoV-19 infection.