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Berdygulova Z, Maltseva E, Perfilyeva Y, Nizkorodova A, Zhigailov A, Naizabayeva D, Ostapchuk YO, Kuatbekova S, Dosmagambet Z, Kuatbek M, Bissenbay A, Cherusheva A, Mashzhan A, Abdolla N, Ashimbekov S, Ismagulova G, Dmitrovskiy A, Mamadaliyev S, Skiba Y. RT-qPCR investigation of post-mortem tissues during COVID-19. J Appl Biomed 2024; 22:115-122. [PMID: 38912867 DOI: 10.32725/jab.2024.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2020, there were numerous cases in Kazakhstan with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 but negative PCR results in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. The diagnosis was confirmed clinically and by CT scans (computed tomography). The problem with such negative PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmation still exists and indicates the need to confirm the diagnosis in the bronchoalveolar lavage in such cases. There is also a lack of information about confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in deceased patients. In this study, various tissue materials, including lungs, bronchi, and trachea, were examined from eight patients who died, presumably from SARS-CoV-2 infection, between 2020 and 2022. Naso/oropharyngeal swabs taken from these patients in hospitals tested PCR negative for SARS-CoV-2. This study presents a modified RNA isolation method based on a comparison of the most used methods for RNA isolation in laboratories: QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit and TRIzol-based method. This modified nucleic acid extraction protocol can be used to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-qPCR in the tissues of deceased patients in disputed cases. RT-qPCR with RNA of SARS-CoV-2 re-extracted with such method from post-mortem tissues that were stored at -80 °C for more than 32 months still demonstrated high-yielding positive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanna Berdygulova
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Elina Maltseva
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Tethys Scientific Society, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Yuliya Perfilyeva
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Anna Nizkorodova
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Andrey Zhigailov
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Dinara Naizabayeva
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Tethys Scientific Society, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Yekaterina O Ostapchuk
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Saltanat Kuatbekova
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Zhaniya Dosmagambet
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Moldir Kuatbek
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Akerke Bissenbay
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Alena Cherusheva
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Akzhigit Mashzhan
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Nurshat Abdolla
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Gulnara Ismagulova
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Andrey Dmitrovskiy
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Seidigapbar Mamadaliyev
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Yuriy Skiba
- Almaty Branch of the National Center for Biotechnology, Central Reference Laboratory, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- M. A. Aitkhozhin Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Tethys Scientific Society, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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2
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Cubisino SAM, Milenkovic S, Conti-Nibali S, Musso N, Bonacci P, De Pinto V, Ceccarelli M, Reina S. Electrophysiological properties and structural prediction of the SARS-CoV-2 viroprotein E. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1334819. [PMID: 38606285 PMCID: PMC11007222 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1334819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus SARS- CoV-2, has caused millions of sick people and thousands of deaths all over the world. The viral positive-sense single-stranded RNA encodes 31 proteins among which the spike (S) is undoubtedly the best known. Recently, protein E has been reputed as a potential pharmacological target as well. It is essential for the assembly and release of the virions in the cell. Literature describes protein E as a voltage-dependent channel with preference towards monovalent cations whose intracellular expression, though, alters Ca2+ homeostasis and promotes the activation of the proinflammatory cascades. Due to the extremely high sequence identity of SARS-CoV-2 protein E (E-2) with the previously characterized E-1 (i.e., protein E from SARS-CoV) many data obtained for E-1 were simply adapted to the other. Recent solid state NMR structure revealed that the transmembrane domain (TMD) of E-2 self-assembles into a homo-pentamer, albeit the oligomeric status has not been validated with the full-length protein. Prompted by the lack of a common agreement on the proper structural and functional features of E-2, we investigated the specific mechanism/s of pore-gating and the detailed molecular structure of the most cryptic protein of SARS-CoV-2 by means of MD simulations of the E-2 structure and by expressing, refolding and analyzing the electrophysiological activity of the transmembrane moiety of the protein E-2, in its full length. Our results show a clear agreement between experimental and predictive studies and foresee a mechanism of activity based on Ca2+ affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stefano Conti-Nibali
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Nicolò Musso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonacci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Vito De Pinto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- We.MitoBiotech S.R.L, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Simona Reina
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- We.MitoBiotech S.R.L, Catania, Italy
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3
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Tedesco I, Zito Marino F, Ronchi A, Duarte Neto AN, Dolhnikoff M, Municinò M, Campobasso CP, Pannone G, Franco R. COVID-19: detection methods in post-mortem samples. Pathologica 2023; 115:263-274. [PMID: 38054901 DOI: 10.32074/1591-951x-933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 identification is routinely performed on fresh samples, such as nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs, even if, the detection of the virus in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) autopsy tissues could help to underlie mechanisms of the pathogenesis that are not well understood. The gold standard for COVID-19 detection in FFPE samples remains the qRT-PCR as in swab samples, contextually other methods have been developed, including immunohistochemistry (IHC), and in situ hybridization (ISH). In this manuscript, we summarize the main data regarding the methods of COVID-19 detection in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary post-mortem samples, and especially the sensitivity and specificity of these assays will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Tedesco
- Pathology Unit, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Zito Marino
- Pathology Unit, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Ronchi
- Pathology Unit, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Amaro Nunes Duarte Neto
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marisa Dolhnikoff
- Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Patologia, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maurizio Municinò
- Forensic Medicine Unit, "S. Giuliano" Hospital, Giugliano in Campania, Italy
| | - Carlo Pietro Campobasso
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania, Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pannone
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Clinic and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Renato Franco
- Pathology Unit, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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Substantial decrease in SARS-CoV-2 RNA after fixation of cadavers intended for anatomical dissection. Anat Sci Int 2023:10.1007/s12565-023-00707-9. [PMID: 36869879 PMCID: PMC9985082 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-023-00707-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a problem arose with classic body donation programmes for obtaining cadavers for anatomical dissections, science and research. The question has emerged whether bodies of individuals who died of COVID-19 or were infected by SARS-CoV-2 could be admitted to Departments of Anatomy. To determine the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to employees or students, the presence and stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in cadavers after fixation agents' application and subsequent post-fixation baths over time were examined. The presence of viral RNA in swabs from selected tissues was assessed by the standardized routine RNA isolation protocol and subsequent real-time PCR analysis. To support the results obtained from the tissue swabs, samples of RNA were exposed in vitro to short and long-term exposure to the components of the injection and fixation solutions used for the bodies' conservation. Substantial removal of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was observed in post-mortem tissue following perfusion with 3.5% phenol, 2.2% formaldehyde, 11.8% glycerol and 55% ethanol, and subsequent post-fixation in an ethanol bath. In vitro experiments showed significant effects of formaldehyde on SARS-CoV-2 RNA, while phenol and ethanol showed only negligible effects. We conclude that cadavers subjected to fixation protocols as described here should not pose a considerable risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection while being handled by students and staff and are, therefore, suitable for routine anatomical dissections and teaching.
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Putra SP, Hidayat T, Zhuhra RT. SARS-CoV-2 persistence and infectivity in COVID-19 corpses: a systematic review. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2023; 19:94-102. [PMID: 36001241 PMCID: PMC9399587 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-022-00518-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The persistence and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in different postmortem COVID-19 specimens remain unclear despite numerous published studies. This information is essential to improve corpses management related to clinical biosafety and viral transmission in medical staff and the public community. We aim to understand SARS-CoV-2 persistence and infectivity in COVID-19 corpses. We conducted a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocols. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Science Direct Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using specific keywords. We critically reviewed the collected studies and selected the articles that met the criteria. We included 33 scientific papers that involved 491 COVID-19 corpses. The persistence rate and maximum postmortem interval (PMI) range of the SARS-CoV-2 findings were reported in the lungs (138/155, 89.0%; 4 months), followed by the vitreous humor (7/37, 18.9%; 3 months), nasopharynx/oropharynx (156/248, 62.9%; 41 days), abdominal organs (67/110, 60.9%; 17 days), skin (14/24, 58.3%; 17 days), brain (14/31, 45.2%; 17 days), bone marrow (2/2, 100%; 12 days), heart (31/69, 44.9%; 6 days), muscle tissues (9/83, 10.8%; 6 days), trachea (9/20, 45.0%; 5 days), and perioral tissues (21/24, 87.5%; 3.5 days). SARS-CoV-2 infectivity rates in viral culture studies were detected in the lungs (9/15, 60%), trachea (2/4, 50%), oropharynx (1/4, 25%), and perioral (1/4, 25%) at a maximum PMI range of 17 days. The SARS-CoV-2 persists in the human body months after death and should be infectious for weeks. This data should be helpful for postmortem COVID-19 management and viral transmission preventive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syandrez Prima Putra
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia.
| | - Taufik Hidayat
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
| | - Rahma Tsania Zhuhra
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Education, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia
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Death from COVID-19 in a Fully Vaccinated Subject: A Complete Autopsy Report. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010142. [PMID: 36679987 PMCID: PMC9865400 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A correctly implemented and widely accepted vaccination campaign was the only truly effective weapon to reduce mortality and hospitalizations related to COVID-19. However, it was not 100% effective and has not eliminated COVID-19. Even though more than 60% of the worldwide population is fully vaccinated (meaning that these subjects have completed the recommended vaccine cycle), subjects continue to die from COVID-19, particularly in the presence of comorbidities. In this scenario, autopsies play a crucial role in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated subjects and adapting therapies accordingly. This case report analyzes the death of a fully vaccinated patient who suffered from comorbidities and died from COVID-19; we provide a complete autopsy data set. On microscopic examination, the lungs showed massive interstitial pneumonia, areas of inflammation with interstitial lympho-plasma cell infiltrate, and interstitial edema. The liver showed granulocytes within the hepatic parenchyma. All these elements were consistent with previous published data on unvaccinated patients who had died from COVID-19. The present study is the first that analyzes, through a complete autopsy and a microscopic analysis of all organs, a death related to COVID-19 despite vaccine administration. In this regard, to the best of our knowledge, no other studies have been published reporting a complete autopsy. This study reports, on the one hand, the importance of vaccination programs in the fight against COVID-19, and, on the other hand, it hypothesizes that the vaccine does not offer complete immunity to SARS-CoV-2, particularly in elderly subjects with comorbidities.
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7
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Ramos-Rincon JM, Herrera-García C, Silva-Ortega S, Portilla-Tamarit J, Alenda C, Jaime-Sanchez FA, Arenas-Jiménez J, Fornés-Riera FE, Scholz A, Escribano I, Pedrero-Castillo V, Muñoz-Miguelsanz C, Orts-Llinares P, Martí-Pastor A, Amo-Lozano A, García-Sevila R, Ribes-Mengual I, Moreno-Perez O, Concepcion-Aramendía L, Merino E, Sánchez-Martínez R, Aranda I. Pathological Findings Associated With SARS-CoV-2 on Postmortem Core Biopsies: Correlation With Clinical Presentation and Disease Course. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:874307. [PMID: 35872778 PMCID: PMC9301383 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.874307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autopsies can shed light on the pathogenesis of new and emerging diseases. Aim To describe needle core necropsy findings of the lung, heart, and liver in decedents with COVID-19. Material Cross-sectional study of needle core necropsies in patients who died with virologically confirmed COVID-19. Histopathological analyses were performed, and clinical data and patient course evaluated. Results Chest core necropsies were performed in 71 decedents with a median age of 81 years (range 52–97); 47 (65.3%) were men. The median interval from symptoms onset to death was 17.5 days (range 1–84). Samples of lung (n = 62, 87.3%), heart (n = 48, 67.6%) and liver (n = 39, 54.9%) were obtained. Fifty-one lung samples (82.3%) were abnormal: 19 (30.6%) showed proliferative diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), 12 (19.4%) presented exudative DAD, and 10 (16.1%) exhibited proliferative plus exudative DAD. Of the 46 lung samples tested for SARS-CoV-19 by RT-PCR, 39 (84.8%) were positive. DAD was associated with premortem values of lactate dehydrogenase of 400 U/L or higher [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 21.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.22–146] and treatment with tocilizumab (AOR 6.91; 95% CI 1.14–41.7). Proliferative DAD was associated with an onset-to-death interval of over 15 days (AOR 7.85, 95% CI 1.29–47.80). Twenty-three of the 48 (47.9%) heart samples were abnormal: all showed fiber hypertrophy, while 9 (18.8%) presented fibrosis. Of the liver samples, 29/39 (74.4%) were abnormal, due to steatosis (n = 12, 30.8%), cholestasis (n = 6, 15.4%) and lobular central necrosis (n = 5, 12.8%). Conclusion Proliferative DAD was the main finding on lung core needle necropsy in people who died from COVID-19; this finding was related to a longer disease course. Changes in the liver and heart were common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose-Manuel Ramos-Rincon
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain.,Clinical Medicine Department, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - Cristian Herrera-García
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Sandra Silva-Ortega
- Pathology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Julia Portilla-Tamarit
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Cristina Alenda
- Pathology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain.,Pathology and Surgery Department, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - Francisco-Angel Jaime-Sanchez
- Clinical Medicine Department, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Spain.,Intensive Care Unit, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan Arenas-Jiménez
- Pathology and Surgery Department, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, Elche, Spain.,Radiology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Francisca-Eugenia Fornés-Riera
- Anesthesiology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Alexander Scholz
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Escribano
- Microbiology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Víctor Pedrero-Castillo
- Pathology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Carlos Muñoz-Miguelsanz
- Anesthesiology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Pedro Orts-Llinares
- Intensive Care Unit, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ana Martí-Pastor
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Antonio Amo-Lozano
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Raquel García-Sevila
- Pneumology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Ribes-Mengual
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Oscar Moreno-Perez
- Clinical Medicine Department, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Spain.,Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Alicante Institute of Sanitary and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Luis Concepcion-Aramendía
- Radiology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Esperanza Merino
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
| | - Rosario Sánchez-Martínez
- Internal Medicine Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain.,Clinical Medicine Department, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - Ignacio Aranda
- Pathology Department, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Alicante General University Hospital, Alicante, Spain
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Spread of COVID-19 Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities of Trieste (Italy) during the Pre-Vaccination Era. Integrating Findings of 41 Forensic Autopsies with Geriatric Comorbidity Index as a Valid Option for the Assessment of Strength of Causation. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10050774. [PMID: 35632530 PMCID: PMC9146610 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10050774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: in 2020, a new form of coronavirus spread around the world starting from China. The older people were the population most affected by the virus worldwide, in particular in Italy where more than 90% of deaths were people over 65 years. In these people, the definition of the cause of death is tricky due to the presence of numerous comorbidities. Objective: to determine whether COVID-19 was the cause of death in a series of older adults residents of nursing care homes. Methods: 41 autopsies were performed from May to June 2020. External examination, swabs, and macroscopic and microscopic examination were performed. Results: the case series consisted of nursing home guests; 15 men and 26 women, with a mean age of 87 years. The average number of comorbidities was 4. Based only on the autopsy results, the defined cause of death was acute respiratory failure due to diffuse alveolar damage (8%) or (31%) bronchopneumonia with one or more positive swabs for SARS-CoV-2. Acute cardiac failure with one or more positive swabs for SARS-CoV-2 was indicated as the cause of death in in symptomatic (37%) and asymptomatic (10%) patients. Few patients died for septic shock (three cases), malignant neoplastic diseases (two cases), and massive digestive bleeding (one case). Conclusions: Data from post-mortem investigation were integrated with previously generated Geriatric Index of Comorbidity (GIC), resulting in four different degrees of probabilities: high (12%), intermediate (10%), low (59%), and none (19%), which define the level of strength of causation and the role of COVID-19 disease in determining death.
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9
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Gattuso G, Rizzo R, Lavoro A, Spoto V, Porciello G, Montagnese C, Cinà D, Cosentino A, Lombardo C, Mezzatesta ML, Salmeri M. Overview of the Clinical and Molecular Features of Legionella Pneumophila: Focus on Novel Surveillance and Diagnostic Strategies. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030370. [PMID: 35326833 PMCID: PMC8944609 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is one of the most threatening nosocomial pathogens. The implementation of novel and more effective surveillance and diagnostic strategies is mandatory to prevent the occurrence of legionellosis outbreaks in hospital environments. On these bases, the present review is aimed to describe the main clinical and molecular features of L. pneumophila focusing attention on the latest findings on drug resistance mechanisms. In addition, a detailed description of the current guidelines for the disinfection and surveillance of the water systems is also provided. Finally, the diagnostic strategies available for the detection of Legionella spp. were critically reviewed, paying the attention to the description of the culture, serological and molecular methods as well as on the novel high-sensitive nucleic acid amplification systems, such as droplet digital PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Gattuso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Roberta Rizzo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Alessandro Lavoro
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Vincenzoleo Spoto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Porciello
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Concetta Montagnese
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, National Cancer Institute IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Diana Cinà
- Health Management of the “Cannizzaro” Emergency Hospital of Catania, 95126 Catania, Italy;
- Clinical Pathology and Clinical Molecular Biology Unit, “Garibaldi Centro” Hospital, ARNAS Garibaldi, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Alessia Cosentino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Cinzia Lombardo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Maria Lina Mezzatesta
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
| | - Mario Salmeri
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (G.G.); (R.R.); (A.L.); (V.S.); (A.C.); (C.L.); (M.L.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-095-478-1244
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10
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Gheware A, Ray A, Rana D, Bajpai P, Nambirajan A, Arulselvi S, Mathur P, Trikha A, Arava S, Das P, Mridha AR, Singh G, Soneja M, Nischal N, Lalwani S, Wig N, Sarkar C, Jain D. ACE2 protein expression in lung tissues of severe COVID-19 infection. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4058. [PMID: 35260724 PMCID: PMC8902283 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07918-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key host protein by which severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters and multiplies within cells. The level of ACE2 expression in the lung is hypothesised to correlate with an increased risk of severe infection and complications in COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). To test this hypothesis, we compared the protein expression status of ACE2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in post-mortem lung samples of patients who died of severe COVID-19 and lung samples obtained from non-COVID-19 patients for other indications. IHC for CD61 and CD163 was performed for the assessment of platelet-rich microthrombi and macrophages, respectively. IHC for SARS-CoV-2 viral antigen was also performed. In a total of 55, 44 COVID-19 post-mortem lung samples were tested for ACE2, 36 for CD163, and 26 for CD61, compared to 15 non-covid 19 control lung sections. Quantification of immunostaining, random sampling, and correlation analysis were used to substantiate the morphologic findings. Our results show that ACE2 protein expression was significantly higher in COVID-19 post-mortem lung tissues than in controls, regardless of sample size. Histomorphology in COVID-19 lungs showed diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), acute bronchopneumonia, and acute lung injury with SARS-CoV-2 viral protein detected in a subset of cases. ACE2 expression levels were positively correlated with increased expression levels of CD61 and CD163. In conclusion, our results show significantly higher ACE2 protein expression in severe COVID-19 disease, correlating with increased macrophage infiltration and microthrombi, suggesting a pathobiological role in disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atish Gheware
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Animesh Ray
- Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Deeksha Rana
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Prashant Bajpai
- Emory Vaccine Center, International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Aruna Nambirajan
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - S Arulselvi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, JPNATC, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Purva Mathur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, JPNATC, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Anjan Trikha
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sudheer Arava
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Prasenjit Das
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Asit Ranjan Mridha
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Geetika Singh
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Manish Soneja
- Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Neeraj Nischal
- Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sanjeev Lalwani
- Division of Forensic Pathology and Molecular Laboratory, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Naveet Wig
- Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Chitra Sarkar
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Deepali Jain
- Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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11
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Musso N, Maugeri JG, Bongiorno D, Stracquadanio S, Bartoloni G, Stefani S, Di Stefano ED. SARS-CoV-2's high rate of genetic mutation under immune selective pressure: from oropharyngeal B.1.1.7 to intrapulmonary B.1.533 in a post-vaccine patient. Int J Infect Dis 2022; 118:169-172. [PMID: 35247550 PMCID: PMC8888350 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This is the case report of an 84-year-old man affected by COVID-19 between the 2 doses of vaccination, with negative exitus. We analyzed nasopharyngeal samples of viral RNA collected during the disease and nasopharyngeal and lung samples collected postmortem by reverse transcription LAMP (RT-LAMP) PCR and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). NGS results were analyzed with different bioinformatic tools to define virus lineages and the related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Both lung and nasopharyngeal samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on RT-LAMP. Through bioinformatic analysis, 2 viral RNAs from the nasal swabs, which belonged to the B.1.1.7 lineage, and 1 viral RNA from the lung sample, which belonged to the B.1.533 lineage, were identified. This genetic observation suggested that SARS-CoV-2 tends to change under selective pressure. The high mutation rate of ORFa1b, containing a replicase gene, was a biological image of a complex viral survival system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Musso
- Laboratory of Molecular and Resistant Antibiotic Medical Microbiology (MMAR), Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Dafne Bongiorno
- Laboratory of Molecular and Resistant Antibiotic Medical Microbiology (MMAR), Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Stefano Stracquadanio
- Laboratory of Molecular and Resistant Antibiotic Medical Microbiology (MMAR), Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Stefani
- Laboratory of Molecular and Resistant Antibiotic Medical Microbiology (MMAR), Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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12
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Esposito M, Salerno M, Scoto E, Di Nunno N, Sessa F. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Practice of Forensic Medicine: An Overview. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10020319. [PMID: 35206933 PMCID: PMC8871677 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10020319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, forensic sciences, on the one hand, contributed to gaining knowledge about different aspects of the pandemic, while on the other hand, forensic professionals were called on to quickly adapt their activities to respond adequately to the changes imposed by the pandemic. This review aims to clarify the state of the art in forensic medicine at the time of COVID-19, discussing the following: the influence of external factors on forensic activities, the impact of autopsy practice on COVID-19 and vice-versa, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem samples, forensic personnel activities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the global vaccination program and forensic sciences, forensic undergraduate education during and after the imposed COVID-19 lockdown, and the medico-legal implications in medical malpractice claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced different aspects of human life, and, accordingly, the practical activities of forensic sciences that are defined as multidisciplinary, involving different expertise. Indeed, the activities are very different, including crime scene investigation (CSI), external examination, autopsy, and genetic and toxicological examinations of tissues and/or biological fluids. At the same time, forensic professionals may have direct contact with subjects in life, such as in the case of abuse victims (in some cases involving children), collecting biological samples from suspects, or visiting subjects in the case of physical examinations. In this scenario, forensic professionals are called on to implement methods to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, wearing adequate PPE, and working in environments with a reduced risk of infection. Consequently, in the pandemic era, the costs involved for forensic sciences were substantially increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Esposito
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Monica Salerno
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Edmondo Scoto
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Nunzio Di Nunno
- Department of History, Society and Studies on Humanity, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Francesco Sessa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-881-736926
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13
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Zarkovic N, Jakovcevic A, Mataic A, Jaganjac M, Vukovic T, Waeg G, Zarkovic K. Post-mortem Findings of Inflammatory Cells and the Association of 4-Hydroxynonenal with Systemic Vascular and Oxidative Stress in Lethal COVID-19. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030444. [PMID: 35159254 PMCID: PMC8834180 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent comparison of clinical and inflammatory parameters, together with biomarkers of oxidative stress, in patients who died from aggressive COVID-19 and survivors suggested that the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) might be detrimental in lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The current study further explores the involvement of inflammatory cells, systemic vascular stress, and 4-HNE in lethal COVID-19 using specific immunohistochemical analyses of the inflammatory cells within the vital organs obtained by autopsy of nine patients who died from aggressive SAR-CoV-2 infection. Besides 4-HNE, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) were analyzed alongside standard leukocyte biomarkers (CDs). All the immunohistochemical slides were simultaneously prepared for each analyzed biomarker. The results revealed abundant 4-HNE in the vital organs, but the primary origin of 4-HNE was sepsis-like vascular stress, not an oxidative burst of the inflammatory cells. In particular, inflammatory cells were often negative for 4-HNE, while blood vessels were always very strongly immunopositive, as was edematous tissue even in the absence of inflammatory cells. The most affected organs were the lungs with diffuse alveolar damage and the brain with edema and reactive astrocytes, whereas despite acute tubular necrosis, 4-HNE was not abundant in the kidneys, which had prominent SOD2. Although SOD2 in most cases gave strong immunohistochemical positivity similar to 4-HNE, unlike 4-HNE, it was always limited to the cells, as was MPO. Due to their differential expressions in blood vessels, inflammatory cells, and the kidneys, we think that SOD2 could, together with 4-HNE, be a potential link between a malfunctioning immune system, oxidative stress, and vascular stress in lethal COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neven Zarkovic
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress (LabOS), Ruder Boskovic Institute, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (M.J.); (T.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Antonia Jakovcevic
- Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Division of Pathology, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.J.); (A.M.); (K.Z.)
| | - Ana Mataic
- Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Division of Pathology, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.J.); (A.M.); (K.Z.)
| | - Morana Jaganjac
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress (LabOS), Ruder Boskovic Institute, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (M.J.); (T.V.)
| | - Tea Vukovic
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress (LabOS), Ruder Boskovic Institute, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (M.J.); (T.V.)
| | - Georg Waeg
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Karl Franzens University, A-8010 Graz, Austria;
| | - Kamelija Zarkovic
- Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Division of Pathology, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.J.); (A.M.); (K.Z.)
- Division of Pathology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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14
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Katopodis P, Randeva HS, Spandidos DA, Saravi S, Kyrou I, Karteris E. Host cell entry mediators implicated in the cellular tropism of SARS‑CoV‑2, the pathophysiology of COVID‑19 and the identification of microRNAs that can modulate the expression of these mediators (Review). Int J Mol Med 2021; 49:20. [PMID: 34935057 PMCID: PMC8722767 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.5075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is mainly dependent on the underlying mechanisms that mediate the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into the host cells of the various human tissues/organs. Recent studies have indicated a higher order of complexity of the mechanisms of infectivity, given that there is a wide-repertoire of possible cell entry mediators that appear to co-localise in a cell- and tissue-specific manner. The present study provides an over-view of the 'canonical' SARS-CoV-2 mediators, namely angiotensin converting enzyme 2, transmembrane protease serine 2 and 4, and neuropilin-1, expanding on the involvement of novel candidates, including glucose-regulated protein 78, basigin, kidney injury molecule-1, metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 2, ADAM metallopeptidase domain 17 (also termed tumour necrosis factor-α convertase) and Toll-like receptor 4. Furthermore, emerging data indicate that changes in microRNA (miRNA/miR) expression levels in patients with COVID-19 are suggestive of further complexity in the regulation of these viral mediators. An in silico analysis revealed 160 candidate miRNAs with potential strong binding capacity in the aforementioned genes. Future studies should concentrate on elucidating the association between the cellular tropism of the SARS-CoV-2 cell entry mediators and the mechanisms through which they might affect the clinical outcome. Finally, the clinical utility as a biomarker or therapeutic target of miRNAs in the context of COVID-19 warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periklis Katopodis
- Biosciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Harpal S Randeva
- Warwickshire Institute for The Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (WISDEM), University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK
| | - Demetrios A Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Sayeh Saravi
- Biosciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Ioannis Kyrou
- Warwickshire Institute for The Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (WISDEM), University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK
| | - Emmanouil Karteris
- Biosciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
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15
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Bonacci PG, Bivona DA, Bongiorno D, Stracquadanio S, Massimino M, Bonomo C, Stracuzzi A, Pennisi P, Musso N, Stefani S. Low Represented Mutation Clustering in SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Sublineage Group with Synonymous Mutations in the E Gene. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:2286. [PMID: 34943523 PMCID: PMC8700258 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11122286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Starting in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat that is difficult to monitor. SARS-CoV-2 is known to undergo frequent mutations, including SNPs and deletions, which seem to be transmitted together, forming clusters that define specific lineages. Reverse-Transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) has been used for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and is still considered the gold standard method. Our Eukaryotic Host Pathogens Interaction (EHPI) laboratory received six SARS-CoV-2-positive samples from a Sicilian private analysis laboratory, four of which showed a dropout of the E gene. Our sequencing data revealed the presence of a synonymous mutation (c.26415 C > T, TAC > TAT) in the E gene of all four samples showing the dropout in RT-qPCR. Interestingly, these samples also harbored three other mutations (S137L-Orf1ab; N439K-S gene; A156S-N gene), which had a very low diffusion rate worldwide. This combination suggested that these mutations may be linked to each other and more common in a specific area than in the rest of the world. Thus, we decided to analyze the 103 sequences in our internal database in order to confirm or disprove our "mutation cluster hypothesis". Within our database, one sample showed the synonymous mutation (c.26415 C > T, TAC > TAT) in the E gene. This work underlines the importance of territorial epidemiological surveillance by means of NGS and the sequencing of samples with clinical and or technical particularities, e.g., post-vaccine infections or RT-qPCR amplification failures, to allow for the early identification of these SNPs. This approach may be an effective method to detect new mutational clusters and thus to predict new emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineages before they spread globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Giuseppe Bonacci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Dalida Angela Bivona
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Dafne Bongiorno
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Stefano Stracquadanio
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Mariacristina Massimino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Carmelo Bonomo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Alessia Stracuzzi
- LifeGene Società a Responsabilità Limitata, Via Garibaldi 377, 98121 Messina, Italy; (A.S.); (P.P.)
| | - Paolo Pennisi
- LifeGene Società a Responsabilità Limitata, Via Garibaldi 377, 98121 Messina, Italy; (A.S.); (P.P.)
- Centro Diagnostico Ionia (CDI), Via Cavour 11, Riposto, 95018 Catania, Italy
| | - Nicolò Musso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
| | - Stefania Stefani
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 97, 95123 Catania, Italy; (P.G.B.); (D.A.B.); (S.S.); (M.M.); (C.B.); (S.S.)
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16
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Di Nunno N, Esposito M, Argo A, Salerno M, Sessa F. Pharmacogenetics and Forensic Toxicology: A New Step towards a Multidisciplinary Approach. TOXICS 2021; 9:292. [PMID: 34822683 PMCID: PMC8620299 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9110292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacogenetics analyzes the individual behavior of DNA genes after the administration of a drug. Pharmacogenetic research has been implemented in recent years thanks to the improvement in genome sequencing techniques and molecular genetics. In addition to medical purposes, pharmacogenetics can constitute an important tool for clarifying the interpretation of toxicological data in post-mortem examinations, sometimes crucial for determining the cause and modality of death. The purpose of this systematic literature review is not only to raise awareness among the forensic community concerning pharmacogenetics, but also to provide a workflow for forensic toxicologists to follow in cases of unknown causes of death related to drug use/abuse. The scientific community is called on to work hard in order to supply evidence in forensic practice, demonstrating that this investigation could become an essential tool both in civil and forensic contexts. The following keywords were used for the search engine: (pharmacogenetics) AND (forensic toxicology); (pharmacogenetics) AND (post-mortem); (pharmacogenetics) AND (forensic science); and (pharmacogenetics) AND (autopsy). A total of 125 articles were collected. Of these, 29 articles were included in this systematic review. A total of 75% of the included studies were original articles (n = 21) and 25% were case reports (n = 7). A total of 78% (n = 22) of the studies involved deceased people for whom a complete autopsy was performed, while 22% (n = 6) involved people in good health who were given a drug with a subsequent pharmacogenetic study. The most studied drugs were opioids (codeine, morphine, and methadone), followed by antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants and venlafaxine). Furthermore, all studies highlighted the importance of a pharmacogenetics study in drug-related deaths, especially in cases of non-overdose of drugs of abuse. This study highlights the importance of forensic pharmacogenetics, a field of toxicology still not fully understood, which is of great help in cases of sudden death, deaths from overdose, deaths after the administration of a drug, and also in cases of complaint of medical malpractice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzio Di Nunno
- Department of History, Society and Studies on Humanity, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Esposito
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonina Argo
- Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Section of Legal Medicine, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Monica Salerno
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Sessa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
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17
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Bashar A, Latif G, Ben Brahim G, Mohammad N, Alghazo J. COVID-19 Pneumonia Detection Using Optimized Deep Learning Techniques. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:1972. [PMID: 34829319 PMCID: PMC8625739 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11111972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
It became apparent that mankind has to learn to live with and adapt to COVID-19, especially because the developed vaccines thus far do not prevent the infection but rather just reduce the severity of the symptoms. The manual classification and diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia requires specialized personnel and is time consuming and very costly. On the other hand, automatic diagnosis would allow for real-time diagnosis without human intervention resulting in reduced costs. Therefore, the objective of this research is to propose a novel optimized Deep Learning (DL) approach for the automatic classification and diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia using X-ray images. For this purpose, a publicly available dataset of chest X-rays on Kaggle was used in this study. The dataset was developed over three stages in a quest to have a unified COVID-19 entities dataset available for researchers. The dataset consists of 21,165 anterior-to-posterior and posterior-to-anterior chest X-ray images classified as: Normal (48%), COVID-19 (17%), Lung Opacity (28%) and Viral Pneumonia (6%). Data Augmentation was also applied to increase the dataset size to enhance the reliability of results by preventing overfitting. An optimized DL approach is implemented in which chest X-ray images go through a three-stage process. Image Enhancement is performed in the first stage, followed by Data Augmentation stage and in the final stage the results are fed to the Transfer Learning algorithms (AlexNet, GoogleNet, VGG16, VGG19, and DenseNet) where the images are classified and diagnosed. Extensive experiments were performed under various scenarios, which led to achieving the highest classification accuracy of 95.63% through the application of VGG16 transfer learning algorithm on the augmented enhanced dataset with freeze weights. This accuracy was found to be better as compared to the results reported by other methods in the recent literature. Thus, the proposed approach proved superior in performance as compared with that of other similar approaches in the extant literature, and it made a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge. Although the results achieved so far are promising, further work is planned to correlate the results of the proposed approach with clinical observations to further enhance the efficiency and accuracy of COVID-19 diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abul Bashar
- Department of Computer Engineering, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghazanfar Latif
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l’Université, Chicoutimi, QC G7H2B1, Canada;
- Department of Computer Science, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ghassen Ben Brahim
- Department of Computer Science, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Nazeeruddin Mohammad
- Cybersecurity Center, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Khobar 31952, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Jaafar Alghazo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA 24450, USA;
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18
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Pomara C, Sessa F, Galante D, Pace L, Fasanella A, Di Nunno N, Esposito M, Salerno M. Do We Really Need Hazard Prevention at the Expense of Safeguarding Death Dignity in COVID-19? Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:1913. [PMID: 34679611 PMCID: PMC8534407 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11101913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, little is known regarding the transmission risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection for subjects involved in handling, transporting, and examining deceased persons with known or suspected COVID-19 positivity at the time of death. This experimental study aims to define if and/or how long SARS-CoV-2 persists with replication capacity in the tissues of individuals who died with/from COVID-19, thereby generating infectious hazards. Sixteen patients who died with/from COVID-19 who underwent autopsy between April 2020 and April 2021 were included in this study. Based on PMI, all samples were subdivided into two groups: 'short PMI' group (eight subjects who were autopsied between 12 to 72 h after death); 'long PMI' (eight subjects who were autopsied between 24 to 78 days after death). All patients tested positive for RT-PCR at nasopharyngeal swab both before death and on samples collected during post-mortem investigation. Moreover, a lung specimen was collected and frozen at -80 °C in order to perform viral culture. The result was defined based on the cytopathic effect (subjective reading) combined with the positivity of the RT-PCR test (objective reading) in the supernatant. Only in one sample (PMI 12 h), virus vitality was demonstrated. This study, supported by a literature review, suggests that the risk of cadaveric infection in cases of a person who died from/with COVID-19 is extremely low in the first hours after death, becoming null after 12 h after death, confirming the World Health Organization (WHO) assumed in March 2020 and suggesting that the corpse of a subject who died from/with COVID-19 should be generally considered not infectious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristoforo Pomara
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Francesco Sessa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Domenico Galante
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (D.G.); (L.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Lorenzo Pace
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (D.G.); (L.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Antonio Fasanella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (D.G.); (L.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Nunzio Di Nunno
- Department of History, Society and Studies on Humanity, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Esposito
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.)
| | - Monica Salerno
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy; (M.E.); (M.S.)
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19
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Dying "from" or "with" COVID-19 during the Pandemic: Medico-Legal Issues According to a Population Perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18168851. [PMID: 34444600 PMCID: PMC8393539 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There is still a lack of knowledge concerning the pathophysiology of death among COVID-19-deceased patients, and the question of whether a patient has died with or due to COVID-19 is still very much debated. In Italy, all deaths of patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 are defined as COVID-19-related, without considering pre-existing diseases that may either contribute to or even cause death. Our study included nine subjects from two different nursing homes (Cases 1–4, Group A; Cases 5–9, Group B). The latter included patients who presumably died from CO poisoning due to a heating system malfunction. All subjects tested positive for COVID-19 both ante- and post-mortem and were examined using post-mortem computed tomography prior to autopsy. COVID-19 was determined to be a contributing cause in the deaths of four out of nine subjects (death due to COVID-19; i.e., pneumonia and sudden cardiac death). In the other five cases, for which CO poisoning was identified as the cause of death, the infection presumably had no role in exitus (death with COVID-19). In our attempt to classify our patients as dying with or due to COVID-19, we found the use of complete assessments (both histological analyses and computed tomography examination) fundamental.
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