SARS-CoV-2 infects human adipose tissue and elicits an inflammatory response consistent with severe COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the viral pathogen SARS-CoV-2, has taken the lives of millions of individuals around the world. Obesity is associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that human adipose tissue from multiple depots is permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection and that infection elicits an inflammatory response, including the secretion of known inflammatory mediators of severe COVID-19. We identify two cellular targets of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adipose tissue: mature adipocytes and adipose tissue macrophages. Adipose tissue macrophage infection is largely restricted to a highly inflammatory subpopulation of macrophages, present at baseline, that is further activated in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Preadipocytes, while not infected, adopt a proinflammatory phenotype. We further demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 RNA is detectable in adipocytes in COVID-19 autopsy cases and is associated with an inflammatory infiltrate. Collectively, our findings indicate that adipose tissue supports SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenic inflammation and may explain the link between obesity and severe COVID-19. One sentence summaryOur work provides the first in vivo evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human adipose tissue and describes the associated inflammation.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the maxillary sinus: a case report / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

We report a case of 46-year-old xanthoderm woman who was diagnosed as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors of right maxillary sinus, and have a literature review. Histology confirmed a diagnosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. The woman had the right total maxillectomy and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. There is no local recurrence or metastasis of one year following up. Literature review revealed MPNST in the nasal cavity and para-nasal sinuses were not common with poor prognosis. The main cause of death is local recurrence and metastasis. Surgical resection showed more advantage than adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Clinical features of elderly patients with severe acute pancreatitis with misdiagnosis as having paralytic ileus / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective The clinical features of elderly patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) were atypical and these patients were often misdiagnosed as having paralytic ileus. The clinical presentations of elderly patients with SAP whose first diagnosis as paralytic ileus were analyzed. Methods 18 patients of elderly SAP who were misdiagnosed as having paralytic ileus were included and the clinical data were compared with 58 elderly patients with SAP. Results Among the misdiagnosis group, the first symptom onset were fleus, abdominal distension, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea for 5, 4, 3, 3, 2, 1 case, respectively. Among SAP group, the first symptoms onset were 2, 31, 9, 3, 11, 2 cases, respectively. For misdiagnosis group, 13 cases were correctly diagnosed by CT scan, 3 cases by ultrasound and 2 cases by serum amylase test. For SAP group, 32, 15, 11 cases were diagnosed by CT scan, ultrasound and serum amylase, respectively (P < 0.05). 4 and 13 patients died in misdiagnosis and SAP group, respectively; among these 13 patients, 10 were female and 3 were male. Conclusions The elderly patients with paralytic ileus should consider the possibility of SAP, and CT scan was valuable for correct diagnosis.

Different KEL gene mRNA transcripts in reticulocyte and non-reticulocyte cells / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the difference of the transcripts between reticulocyte and non-reticulocyte cells in human blood.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genomic DNA, reticulocyte RNA and total RNA of K-, K+ and Kell-null(K0) were extracted, then PCR, reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR) and nested PCR followed by sequencing or cloning-sequencing were used to analyze the KEL gene mRNA exons 1-19 and exons 2-8. Four kinds of monoclonal antibodies were labeled to detect the expression of Kell glycoprotein on red cells or leukocytes with flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In reticulocyte, only one normal KEL transcript faithful to the genomic structure was found in all tested samples except K0 which had 4 different transcripts. Sequence analysis of exons 2-8 of total RNA confirmed the alternative KEL transcripts existed in different samples, mostly caused by abnormal splicing, among them, skipping of exon 3 and a 16 bp insertion of intron 6 at the beginning of exon 7 were the most frequent. Although only one band was observed after amplifying the exons 1-19 from total RNA, the sequencing result showed it was a mixture of different sequences. There was strong expression of Kell glycoprotein on red cells except K0, but no or low expression on leucocytes by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Alternative transcripts of KEL gene exist in different cells, which would be responsible for different Kell glycoprotein expression patterns on different cells. This study suggested that reticulocyte RNA was more suitable than total RNA for molecular study of KEL gene transcription.</p>

Study on B(A) phenotypes and identification of novel B(A)641 allele in chinese population / 中国输血杂志

C mutation. All 8 samples displayed the B(A) phenotype. Their real genotypes were B(A)/O. Conclusion Three B(A) alleles in the Chinese Han population were detected. Two alleles,B(A)700,B(A)640 were reported previously. One novel allele B(A)641, was first identified in this study.