Why diabetic patients are prone to severe viral infections?
Patients with T2D are more susceptible to severe viral respiratory infections, yet the underlying mechanism remains elusive.
The researchers reveal that hyperglycemia triggers lipid peroxidation (LPO) in CD4+ T cells.
LPO-derived reactive carbonyl species modify STAT4 and expedite its degradation, leading to diminished anti-viral Th1 responses. The authors show that LPO scavenger ameliorates Th1 defects in patients with T2D who have poor glycemic control and restores viral control in T2D mice.
https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(24)00400-5
