Expression of circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in children with asthma and the effects of inhaled corticosteroids

Abstract

Background: The global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a significant disease burden, yet asthma patients do not have the expected high morbidity and mortality rates in the pandemics of COVID-19. Objective: To find the difference of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in asthma and nonasthma children and evaluate the effect of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on its expression. Methods: The ACE2, immunoglobulin E (IgE), and eosinophils were tested in different children. Results: A total of 157 children aged 3–16 years were enrolled. The expression of ACE2 in asthma children were lower than nonasthma children (T = −2.512, p =.013). Allergic nonasthma children had a significant higher ACE2 expression than children with allergic asthma (p =.013) and nonallergic asthma (p =.029). The expression of ACE2 had no significant difference between first-diagnosed asthma children and that had been treated with ICS for ≥6 months (F = 0.028, p =.598). The allergic asthma children showed a significantly higher eosinophils cells (EC) count than the allergic nonasthma (W = 200, p