Efficacy of Palmitoylethanolamide, in add-on to Standard Therapy, on Inflammatory Markers of Patients With Interstitial Pneumonia Due to COVID-19. A Pilot Controlled, Randomized, Open Lable Clinical Study

SARS-CoV-2 infection is a condition characterized by excessive leukocyte infiltration, massive release of chemokines, proteases and cytokines, the so-called "cytokine storm", which promote the inflammatory process and contribute to exacerbation of COVID-19 symptomatology. Because of the abnormal release of pro-inflammatory cytokines by non-neuronal cells of the immune system, such as the mast cells in periphery, and microglia at central level, the body activates a defensive neuroinflammatory process that, if not controlled, can become pathological. Therefore it's important to intervene early on neuroinflammation, in order to limit the progression of the disease.

A possible intervention is represented by Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an endogenous molecule of the N-acylethanolamine family synthesized "on demand" in response to "stress factors" to restore tissue homeostasis, able to control mast cells and microglia uncontrolled activation. Experimental evidence in vitro and in vivo demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect of micronized and ultra-micronized PEA (mPEA and umPEA), confirmed in various clinical investigations conducted in patients with different pathological conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of a compound containing mPEA + umPEA on peripheral inflammatory markers, neuroinflammation, and others clinical parameters in intensive care patients with COVID-19 interstitial pneumonia.