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Visualizing in deceased COVID-19 patients how SARS-CoV-2 attacks the respiratory and olfactory mucosae but spares the olfactory bulb.
Khan, Mona; Yoo, Seung-Jun; Clijsters, Marnick; Backaert, Wout; Vanstapel, Arno; Speleman, Kato; Lietaer, Charlotte; Choi, Sumin; Hether, Tyler D; Marcelis, Lukas; Nam, Andrew; Pan, Liuliu; Reeves, Jason W; Van Bulck, Pauline; Zhou, Hai; Bourgeois, Marc; Debaveye, Yves; De Munter, Paul; Gunst, Jan; Jorissen, Mark; Lagrou, Katrien; Lorent, Natalie; Neyrinck, Arne; Peetermans, Marijke; Thal, Dietmar Rudolf; Vandenbriele, Christophe; Wauters, Joost; Mombaerts, Peter; Van Gerven, Laura.
  • Khan M; Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Frankfurt, Germany.
  • Yoo SJ; Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Frankfurt, Germany.
  • Clijsters M; Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Backaert W; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Vanstapel A; Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Speleman K; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV, Bruges, Belgium.
  • Lietaer C; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV, Bruges, Belgium.
  • Choi S; Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Frankfurt, Germany.
  • Hether TD; NanoString Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA, USA.
  • Marcelis L; Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Nam A; NanoString Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA, USA.
  • Pan L; NanoString Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA, USA.
  • Reeves JW; NanoString Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA, USA.
  • Van Bulck P; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Zhou H; Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Frankfurt, Germany.
  • Bourgeois M; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV, Bruges, Belgium.
  • Debaveye Y; Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • De Munter P; Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Gunst J; Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Intensive Care Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Jorissen M; Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Lagrou K; Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Lorent N; Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Neyrinck A; Department of Anesthesia, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Peetermans M; Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Thal DR; Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Vandenbriele C; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Wauters J; Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory for Clinical Infectious and Inflammatory Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Mombaerts P; Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Frankfurt, Germany. Electronic address: peter.mombaerts@gen.mpg.de.
  • Van Gerven L; Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immu
Cell ; 184(24): 5932-5949.e15, 2021 11 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1549679
ABSTRACT
Anosmia, the loss of smell, is a common and often the sole symptom of COVID-19. The onset of the sequence of pathobiological events leading to olfactory dysfunction remains obscure. Here, we have developed a postmortem bedside surgical procedure to harvest endoscopically samples of respiratory and olfactory mucosae and whole olfactory bulbs. Our cohort of 85 cases included COVID-19 patients who died a few days after infection with SARS-CoV-2, enabling us to catch the virus while it was still replicating. We found that sustentacular cells are the major target cell type in the olfactory mucosa. We failed to find evidence for infection of olfactory sensory neurons, and the parenchyma of the olfactory bulb is spared as well. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 does not appear to be a neurotropic virus. We postulate that transient insufficient support from sustentacular cells triggers transient olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19. Olfactory sensory neurons would become affected without getting infected.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Olfactory Bulb / Autopsy / Olfactory Mucosa / Respiratory Mucosa / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Aged / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged Language: English Journal: Cell Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.cell.2021.10.027

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Olfactory Bulb / Autopsy / Olfactory Mucosa / Respiratory Mucosa / COVID-19 Type of study: Cohort study / Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Aged / Female / Humans / Male / Middle aged Language: English Journal: Cell Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.cell.2021.10.027