Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients
The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the middle ear reveals the etiopathogenesis of otitis media in COVID-19, as well as an epidemiological risk during otologic examination and surgical procedures in COVID-19 patients. The study included 8 deceased patients with COVID-19. Tissue samples from the middle ear...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Diagnostics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/9/1535 |
| _version_ | 1797519693000474624 |
|---|---|
| author | Ionuț Isaia Jeican Maria Aluaș Mihaela Lazăr Lucian Barbu-Tudoran Dan Gheban Patricia Inișca Camelia Albu Septimiu Tripon Silviu Albu Costel Siserman Mihaela Laura Vica Monica Muntean Iulian Opincariu Lia Monica Junie |
| author_facet | Ionuț Isaia Jeican Maria Aluaș Mihaela Lazăr Lucian Barbu-Tudoran Dan Gheban Patricia Inișca Camelia Albu Septimiu Tripon Silviu Albu Costel Siserman Mihaela Laura Vica Monica Muntean Iulian Opincariu Lia Monica Junie |
| author_sort | Ionuț Isaia Jeican |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the middle ear reveals the etiopathogenesis of otitis media in COVID-19, as well as an epidemiological risk during otologic examination and surgical procedures in COVID-19 patients. The study included 8 deceased patients with COVID-19. Tissue samples from the middle ear were subjected to virology, histopathology, scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy investigation. Ethmoidal mucosa samples were processed for virology analyses. qPCR resulted positive for 75% of nasal mucosa samples and 50% of middle ear samples. Ct values showed lower viral loads in middle ear samples. A proportion of 66.6% patients with positive results in the nasal mucosa showed positive results in the middle ear, and the subtype analysis of the complete genome sequences indicated B.1.1.7 lineage for all samples. In histopathological and SEM samples, no pathological aspects were identified. TEM revealed on the background of death critical alteration of cellular morphology, suggestive structures resembling SARS-CoV-2, goblet cells and immune cells. SARS-CoV-2 can be present in the middle ear of COVID-19 patients even if there is not clinical evidence of acute otitis media. Otolaryngologists could be particularly exposed to COVID-19 infection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:46:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6076ba2a989d4c0988ddb4560100d00f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:46:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-6076ba2a989d4c0988ddb4560100d00f2023-11-22T12:38:17ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182021-08-01119153510.3390/diagnostics11091535Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 PatientsIonuț Isaia Jeican0Maria Aluaș1Mihaela Lazăr2Lucian Barbu-Tudoran3Dan Gheban4Patricia Inișca5Camelia Albu6Septimiu Tripon7Silviu Albu8Costel Siserman9Mihaela Laura Vica10Monica Muntean11Iulian Opincariu12Lia Monica Junie13Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology, University Clinical Hospital of Railway Company, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Oral Health, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaViral Respiratory Infections Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military-Medical Institute for Research and Development, 050096 Bucharest, RomaniaElectron Microscopy Laboratory, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Pathology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Pathology, County Emergency Hospital, 330084 Deva, RomaniaDepartment of Pathology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaElectron Microscopy Laboratory, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology, University Clinical Hospital of Railway Company, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Legal Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaInstitute of Legal Medicine, Department of Legal Medicine, ‘Iuliu Haţieganu’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Infectious Disease, Clinical Hospital of Infectious Disease, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Anatomy and Embryology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Microbiology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaThe presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the middle ear reveals the etiopathogenesis of otitis media in COVID-19, as well as an epidemiological risk during otologic examination and surgical procedures in COVID-19 patients. The study included 8 deceased patients with COVID-19. Tissue samples from the middle ear were subjected to virology, histopathology, scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy investigation. Ethmoidal mucosa samples were processed for virology analyses. qPCR resulted positive for 75% of nasal mucosa samples and 50% of middle ear samples. Ct values showed lower viral loads in middle ear samples. A proportion of 66.6% patients with positive results in the nasal mucosa showed positive results in the middle ear, and the subtype analysis of the complete genome sequences indicated B.1.1.7 lineage for all samples. In histopathological and SEM samples, no pathological aspects were identified. TEM revealed on the background of death critical alteration of cellular morphology, suggestive structures resembling SARS-CoV-2, goblet cells and immune cells. SARS-CoV-2 can be present in the middle ear of COVID-19 patients even if there is not clinical evidence of acute otitis media. Otolaryngologists could be particularly exposed to COVID-19 infection.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/9/1535SARS-CoV-2COVID-19middle earotologic surgery |
| spellingShingle | Ionuț Isaia Jeican Maria Aluaș Mihaela Lazăr Lucian Barbu-Tudoran Dan Gheban Patricia Inișca Camelia Albu Septimiu Tripon Silviu Albu Costel Siserman Mihaela Laura Vica Monica Muntean Iulian Opincariu Lia Monica Junie Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients Diagnostics SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 middle ear otologic surgery |
| title | Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients |
| title_full | Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients |
| title_fullStr | Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients |
| title_short | Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Virus in the Middle Ear of Deceased COVID-19 Patients |
| title_sort | evidence of sars cov 2 virus in the middle ear of deceased covid 19 patients |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 middle ear otologic surgery |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/9/1535 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ionutisaiajeican evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT mariaaluas evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT mihaelalazar evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT lucianbarbutudoran evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT dangheban evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT patriciainisca evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT cameliaalbu evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT septimiutripon evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT silviualbu evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT costelsiserman evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT mihaelalauravica evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT monicamuntean evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT iulianopincariu evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients AT liamonicajunie evidenceofsarscov2virusinthemiddleearofdeceasedcovid19patients |