Journal Article

Lactoferrin as Antiviral Treatment in COVID-19 Management: Preliminary Evidence

Coppeta, Luca, Di Lorenzo, Andrea, Squillaci, Ettore, Sarmati, Loredana, Miani, Alessandro, Iannuzzi, Ilaria, Ciotti, Marco, Iacovelli, Federico, Franchin, Elisa, Cosio, Terenzio, Andreoni, Massimo, Rosapepe, Felice, Falconi, Mattia, Nuccetelli, Marzia, Chiaramonte, Carlo, Bernardini, Sergio, Conte, Maria Pia, Bartoletti, Pier Luigi, Moricca, Nicola, Piscitelli, Prisco, Valenti, Piera, Sabatini, Stefano, Lia, Maria Stella, Del Vecchio, Claudia, Campione, Elena, Terrinoni, Alessandro, Romeo, Alice, Lanna, Caterina, Minieri, Marilena, Magrini, Andrea, Bianchi, Luca, Rosa, Luigi

2021

Overview

Lactoferrin (Lf), a multifunctional cationic glycoprotein synthesized by exocrine glands and neutrophils, possesses an in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, we conducted an in vivo preliminary study to investigate the antiviral effect of oral and intranasal liposomal bovine Lf (bLf) in asymptomatic and mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients. From April 2020 to June 2020, a total of 92 mild-to-moderate (67/92) and asymptomatic (25/92) COVID-19 patients were recruited and divided into three groups. Thirty-two patients (14 hospitalized and 18 in home-based isolation) received only oral and intranasal liposomal bLf; 32 hospitalized patients were treated only with standard of care (SOC) treatment; and 28, in home-based isolation, did not take any medication. Furthermore, 32 COVID-19 negative, untreated, healthy subjects were added for ancillary analysis. Liposomal bLf-treated COVID-19 patients obtained an earlier and significant (p < 0.0001) SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative conversion compared to the SOC-treated and untreated COVID-19 patients (14.25 vs. 27.13 vs. 32.61 days, respectively). Liposomal bLf-treated COVID-19 patients showed fast clinical symptoms recovery compared to the SOC-treated COVID-19 patients. In bLf-treated patients, a significant decrease in serum ferritin, IL-6, and D-dimers levels was observed. No adverse events were reported. These observations led us to speculate a potential role of bLf in the management of mild-to-moderate and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Antiviral drugs / Asymptomatic / Binding sites / Clinical trials / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Disease / Electrocardiography / FDA approval / Fever / Glycoproteins / Heparan sulfate / Homeostasis / Hospitalization / Hospitals / Infections / Iron / Nitrates / Oxygen saturation / Pandemics / Pneumonia / Proteins / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Viral infections