Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation
We report the case of a 77-year-old woman affected by coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) who developed an occlusive arterial disease of the lower limb requiring a left leg amputation. We studied the mechanisms of vascular damage by SARS-CoV-2 by means of a comprehensive multi-technique in situ analys...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Biomolecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/7/1063 |
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| author | Francesco Vasuri Carmen Ciavarella Salvatore Collura Chiara Mascoli Sabrina Valente Alessio Degiovanni Mauro Gargiulo Miriam Capri Gianandrea Pasquinelli |
| author_facet | Francesco Vasuri Carmen Ciavarella Salvatore Collura Chiara Mascoli Sabrina Valente Alessio Degiovanni Mauro Gargiulo Miriam Capri Gianandrea Pasquinelli |
| author_sort | Francesco Vasuri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report the case of a 77-year-old woman affected by coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) who developed an occlusive arterial disease of the lower limb requiring a left leg amputation. We studied the mechanisms of vascular damage by SARS-CoV-2 by means of a comprehensive multi-technique in situ analysis on the diseased popliteal arterial district, including immunohistochemistry (IHC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and miRNA analysis. At histological analyses, we observed a lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate, oedema and endothelialitis of adventitial vasa vasorum while the media was normal and the intima had only minor changes. The vasa vasorum expressed the ACE2 receptor and factor VIII; compared with the controls, VEGFR2 staining was reduced. TEM analyses showed endothelial injury and numerous Weibel–Palade bodies in the cytoplasm. No coronavirus particle was seen. IL-6 protein and mRNA, together with miR-155-5p and miRs-27a-5p, which can target IL-6, were significantly increased compared with that in the controls. Our case report suggests an involvement of adventitial artery microcirculation by inflammation in the course of COVID-19. Without evident signs of current infection by SARS-CoV-2, endothelial cells show a spectrum of structural and functional alterations that can fuel the cardiovascular complications observed in people infected with SARS-CoV-2. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:45:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0203a9696b34d41a4cebe68a1962919 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-273X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:45:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomolecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0203a9696b34d41a4cebe68a19629192023-11-22T03:19:41ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2021-07-01117106310.3390/biom11071063Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular InflammationFrancesco Vasuri0Carmen Ciavarella1Salvatore Collura2Chiara Mascoli3Sabrina Valente4Alessio Degiovanni5Mauro Gargiulo6Miriam Capri7Gianandrea Pasquinelli8Pathology Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyVascular Surgery Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyPathology Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyVascular Surgery Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyPathology Unit, IRCCS, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, ItalyWe report the case of a 77-year-old woman affected by coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) who developed an occlusive arterial disease of the lower limb requiring a left leg amputation. We studied the mechanisms of vascular damage by SARS-CoV-2 by means of a comprehensive multi-technique in situ analysis on the diseased popliteal arterial district, including immunohistochemistry (IHC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and miRNA analysis. At histological analyses, we observed a lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate, oedema and endothelialitis of adventitial vasa vasorum while the media was normal and the intima had only minor changes. The vasa vasorum expressed the ACE2 receptor and factor VIII; compared with the controls, VEGFR2 staining was reduced. TEM analyses showed endothelial injury and numerous Weibel–Palade bodies in the cytoplasm. No coronavirus particle was seen. IL-6 protein and mRNA, together with miR-155-5p and miRs-27a-5p, which can target IL-6, were significantly increased compared with that in the controls. Our case report suggests an involvement of adventitial artery microcirculation by inflammation in the course of COVID-19. Without evident signs of current infection by SARS-CoV-2, endothelial cells show a spectrum of structural and functional alterations that can fuel the cardiovascular complications observed in people infected with SARS-CoV-2.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/7/1063artery diseaseCOVID-19immunohistochemistryinflammationmiRNAIL-6 |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Vasuri Carmen Ciavarella Salvatore Collura Chiara Mascoli Sabrina Valente Alessio Degiovanni Mauro Gargiulo Miriam Capri Gianandrea Pasquinelli Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation Biomolecules artery disease COVID-19 immunohistochemistry inflammation miRNA IL-6 |
| title | Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation |
| title_full | Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation |
| title_fullStr | Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation |
| title_short | Adventitial Microcirculation Is a Major Target of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Vascular Inflammation |
| title_sort | adventitial microcirculation is a major target of sars cov 2 mediated vascular inflammation |
| topic | artery disease COVID-19 immunohistochemistry inflammation miRNA IL-6 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/7/1063 |
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