Covid 19 Clinical Trials

The COVID-19 pathology is frequently associated with diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. In the epidemic outbreak that exploded at the beginning of 2020 in the Lombardy Region, about two thirds of the patients who died from COVID-19 were affected by diabetes mellitus. COVID-19 occurs in 70% of cases with an inflammatory pathology of the airways that can be fed by a cytokine storm and result in severe respiratory failure (10% cases) and death (5%). The pathophysiological molecular mechanisms are currently not clearly defined. It is hypothesized that the transmembrane glycoprotein type II CD26, known for the enzyme activity Dipeptilpeptidase 4 of the extracellular domain, may play a main role in this condition. It is in fact considerably expressed at the level of parenchyma and pulmonary interstitium and carries out both systemic and paracrine enzymatic activity, modulating the function of various proinflammatory cytokines, growth factors and vasoactive peptides in the deep respiratory tract. Of particular interest is the fact that Dipeptilpeptidase 4 has been identified as a cellular receptor for S glycoprotein of MERS-COV. In the case of the SARS-COV 2 virus, the main receptor is the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 protein, but a possible interaction with Dipeptilpeptidase 4 also cannot be excluded. The selective blockade of Dipeptilpeptidase 4 could therefore favorably modulate the pulmonary inflammatory response in the subject affected by COVID-19. This protein is also known for the enzymatic degradation function of the native glucagon-like peptide 1, one of the main regulators of insulin secretion. This is why it is a molecular target in the treatment of diabetes (drugs that selectively inhibit Dipeptilpeptidase 4 are marketed with an indication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes). It is believed that the use of a Dipeptilpeptidase 4 inhibitor in people with diabetes and hospitalized for Covid-19 may be safe and of particular interest for an evaluation of the effects on laboratory and instrumental indicators of inflammatory lung disease. Among the drugs that selectively block Dipeptilpeptidase 4, the one with the greatest affinity is Sitagliptin.

NCT04365517 Covid19 Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 CKD Drug: Sitagliptin

MeSH:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

HPO:Type II diabetes mellitus

Primary Outcomes

Description: Evaluation of the time between randomization and two-point improvement on a seven-category scale (1, not hospitalized, return to normal activities; 2, not hospitalized, but unable to return to normal activities; 3, hospitalized without the need for oxygen therapy; 4, hospitalized, need for oxygen therapy; 5, hospitalized, need for non-invasive ventilatory support; 6, hospitalized, need for invasive mechanical ventilation or Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation; 7, death)

Measure: Time for clinical improvement

Time: 1 month

Description: Clinical evaluation of the physiological parameter "cough" associated with acute lung disease from the start of the study to the end of the study.