Published online Dec 6, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i34.10392
Peer-review started: February 1, 2021
First decision: March 29, 2021
Revised: March 10, 2021
Accepted: August 4, 2021
Article in press: August 4, 2021
Published online: December 6, 2021
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a significant challenge for clinicians, especially for immunocompromised cancer patients. By analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients at the tissue level and single-cell level, we found that CRC patients are more easily infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), but promotion of infiltration and differentiation of monocytes makes them more likely to develop severe COVID-19. Because of the continuing activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB and C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) signaling pathways in monocytes, imbalance of macrophage polarization can aggravate the cytokine release syndrome. Therefore, regulating the infiltration and differentiation of monocytes is helpful for the treatment of COVID-19 in CRC patients.
Core Tip: Not only are colorectal cancer (CRC) patients susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) but their infiltrating monocytes are also affected by SARS-CoV-2. Promotion of infiltration and differentiation of monocytes after infection CRC patients are more likely to develop severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In severe COVID-19, because of activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB and C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) signaling pathways, the imbalance of macrophage polarization can cause further aggravation of the cytokine release syndrome.