Vascular occlusion by neutrophil extracellular traps in COVID-19.
EBioMedicine
; 58: 102925, 2020 Aug.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-701831
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Coronavirus induced disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be complicated by severe organ damage leading to dysfunction of the lungs and other organs. The processes that trigger organ damage in COVID-19 are incompletely understood.METHODS:
Samples were donated from hospitalized patients. Sera, plasma, and autopsy-derived tissue sections were examined employing flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and immunohistochemistry. PATIENTFINDINGS:
Here, we show that severe COVID-19 is characterized by a highly pronounced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) inside the micro-vessels. Intravascular aggregation of NETs leads to rapid occlusion of the affected vessels, disturbed microcirculation, and organ damage. In severe COVID-19, neutrophil granulocytes are strongly activated and adopt a so-called low-density phenotype, prone to spontaneously form NETs. In accordance, markers indicating NET turnover are consistently increased in COVID-19 and linked to disease severity. Histopathology of the lungs and other organs from COVID-19 patients showed congestions of numerous micro-vessels by aggregated NETs associated with endothelial damage.INTERPRETATION:
These data suggest that organ dysfunction in severe COVID-19 is associated with excessive NET formation and vascular damage.FUNDING:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), EU, Volkswagen-Stiftung.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Thrombosis
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Microvessels
/
Extracellular Traps
/
Neutrophils
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
EBioMedicine
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS