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Cell death and pathological findings of the spleen in COVID-19 patients.
- Source :
-
Pathology, research and practice [Pathol Res Pract] 2021 Nov; Vol. 227, pp. 153610. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Sep 08. - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) is recognized as systemic inflammatory response syndrome. It was demonstrated that a rapid increase of cytokines in the serum of COVID-19 patients is associated with the severity of disease. However, the mechanisms of the cytokine release are not clear. By using immunofluorescence staining we found that the number of CD11b positive immune cells including macrophages in the spleens of died COVID-19 patients, was significantly higher than that of the control patients. The incidence of apoptosis as measured by two apoptotic markers, TUNEL and cleaved caspase-3, in COVID-19 patients' spleen cells is higher than that in control patients. By double immunostaining CD11b or CD68 and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, it was found that up to 67% of these immune cells were positive for spike protein, suggesting that viral infection might be associated with apoptosis in these cells. Besides, we also stained the autophagy-related molecules (p-Akt、p62 and BCL-2) in spleen tissues, the results showed that the number of positive cells was significantly higher in COVID-19 group. And compared with non-COVID-19 patients, autophagy may be inhibited in COVID-19 patients. Our research suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may result in a higher rate of apoptosis and a lower rate of autophagy of immune cells in the spleen of COVID-19 patients. These discoveries may increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19.<br /> (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Antigens, CD analysis
Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic analysis
Autopsy
Biomarkers analysis
CD11b Antigen analysis
COVID-19 immunology
COVID-19 mortality
COVID-19 virology
Case-Control Studies
Caspase 3 analysis
Host-Pathogen Interactions
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
In Situ Nick-End Labeling
Phosphorylation
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt analysis
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 analysis
SARS-CoV-2 immunology
Sequestosome-1 Protein analysis
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus analysis
Spleen immunology
Spleen virology
Apoptosis
Autophagy
COVID-19 pathology
SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity
Spleen pathology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1618-0631
- Volume :
- 227
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Pathology, research and practice
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 34601398
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2021.153610