https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1687-1321
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ABSTRACT
Recent studies indicate that cilia impairment, accompanied by the axonema loss and the basal body misorientation, is a common pathological feature of SARS-CoV-2-infected bronchial epithelial cells. However, these data were obtained using either cultured cells, or animal models, while in human postmortem material, cilia impairment has not been described yet. Here, we present direct observation of cilia impairment in SARS-CoV-2-infected bronchial epithelial cells using transmission electron microscopy of the autopsy material. We were able to observe only single infected cells with cilia impairment in one of twelve examined specimens, while the large number of desquamated bronchial epithelial cells with undisturbed ciliary layer was visible in the bronchial lumens. Thus, it seems that in the lungs of infected patients, the majority of bronchial cells do not die as a direct result of infection, which may explain the rarity of this finding in the autopsy material.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Dr. E. Arifulin for support with electron microscopy.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Authors’ contributions
EVS conceived and designed the study. DMP, TNS, OMS, OVZ, EYuV, EVS collected, analyzed, and interpreted data. TNS and OVZ reviewed the histology. DMP, TNS, EVS created figures. DMP, TNS, OVZ, EYuV, EVS drafted and finalized the manuscript.
Data statement availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Whole-slide scanning of the lung autopsy specimen is deposited in BioStudies repository (accession number S-BIAD603).
Statement of ethics
The study was approved by the Moscow City Ethics Committee (protocol № 50/69_13.10.2020) of the Research Institute of the Organization of Health and Healthcare Management. All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the local research committee and with the declaration of Helsinki.