NLRP3 and COVID-19: ,67 Accordingly, exosomes derived from patients with severe COVID-19 were found to trigger robust mRNA expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β across multiple endothelial cell lineages, thus suggesting that inflammasome activation and IL-1β release may contribute to the systemic endotheliopathy and coagulopathy associated with severe COVID-19.68