SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in cells of the human endocrine and exocrine pancreas.
Nat Metab
; 3(2): 149-165, 2021 02.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1065968
ABSTRACT
Infection-related diabetes can arise as a result of virus-associated ß-cell destruction. Clinical data suggest that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), impairs glucose homoeostasis, but experimental evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can infect pancreatic tissue has been lacking. In the present study, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infects cells of the human exocrine and endocrine pancreas ex vivo and in vivo. We demonstrate that human ß-cells express viral entry proteins, and SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in cultured human islets. Infection is associated with morphological, transcriptional and functional changes, including reduced numbers of insulin-secretory granules in ß-cells and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. In COVID-19 full-body postmortem examinations, we detected SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in pancreatic exocrine cells, and in cells that stain positive for the ß-cell marker NKX6.1 and are in close proximity to the islets of Langerhans in all four patients investigated. Our data identify the human pancreas as a target of SARS-CoV-2 infection and suggest that ß-cell infection could contribute to the metabolic dysregulation observed in patients with COVID-19.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Islets of Langerhans
/
SARS-CoV-2
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Nat Metab
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S42255-021-00347-1
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