| Title: |
SARS-CoV-2-Related Olfactory Dysfunction: Autopsy Findings, Histopathology, and Evaluation of Viral RNA and ACE2 Expression in Olfactory Bulbs |
| Authors: |
Dell’Aquila, Marco; Cafiero, Concetta; Micera, Alessandra; Stigliano, Egidio; Ottaiano, Maria Pia; Benincasa, Giulio; Schiavone, Beniamino; Guidobaldi, Leo; Santacroce, Luigi; Pisconti, Salvatore; Arena, Vincenzo; Palmirotta, Raffaele |
| Contributors: |
Dell’Aquila, Marco; Cafiero, Concetta; Micera, Alessandra; Stigliano, Egidio; Ottaiano, Maria Pia; Benincasa, Giulio; Schiavone, Beniamino; Guidobaldi, Leo; Santacroce, Luigi; Pisconti, Salvatore; Arena, Vincenzo; Palmirotta, Raffaele |
| Publication Year: |
2024 |
| Collection: |
Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro: CINECA IRIS |
| Subject Terms: |
olfactory bulb; SARS-CoV-2; anosmia; neuropathogenesi; COVID-19 |
| Description: |
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a health emergency with a significant impact on the world due to its high infectiousness. The disease, primarily identified in the lower respiratory tract, develops with numerous clinical symptoms affecting multiple organs and displays a clinical finding of anosmia. Several authors have investigated the pathogenetic mechanisms of the olfactory disturbances caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, proposing different hypotheses and showing contradictory results. Since uncertainties remain about possible virus neurotropism and direct damage to the olfactory bulb, we investigated the expression of SARS-CoV-2 as well as ACE2 receptor transcripts in autoptic lung and olfactory bulb tissues, with respect to the histopathological features. Methods: Twenty-five COVID-19 olfactory bulbs and lung tissues were randomly collected from 200 initial autopsies performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Routine diagnosis was based on clinical and radiological findings and were confirmed with post-mortem swabs. Real-time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 receptor RNA was carried out on autoptic FFPE lung and olfactory bulb tissues. Histological staining was performed on tissue specimens and compared with the molecular data. Results: While real-time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 was positive in 23 out of 25 lung samples, the viral RNA expression was absent in olfactory bulbs. ACE2-receptor RNA was present in all tissues examined, being highly expressed in lung samples than olfactory bulbs. Conclusions: Our finding suggests that COVID-19 anosmia is not only due to neurotropism and the direct action of SARS-CoV-2 entering the olfactory bulb. The mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 neuropathogenesis in the olfactory bulb requires a better elucidation and further research studies to mitigate the olfactory bulb damage associated with virus action. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/38672185; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:001221429400001; volume:12; issue:4; numberofpages:13; journal:BIOMEDICINES; https://hdl.handle.net/11586/468864 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/biomedicines12040830 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/11586/468864; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12040830; https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/4/830 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; license:Creative commons ; license uri:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.63383C |
| Database: |
BASE |