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Horm Metab Res 2020; 52(09): 639-641
DOI: 10.1055/a-1191-8094
Endocrine Care

Inflammatory Cell Infiltration of Adrenals in COVID-19

Vsevolod A. Zinserling
1   S. P. Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, St. Petersburg, Russia
2   V. A. Almasov Scientific Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
,
Natalya Yu. Semenova
1   S. P. Botkin Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, St. Petersburg, Russia
2   V. A. Almasov Scientific Research Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
,
Alexander G. Markov
3   Department of General Physiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
,
Oksana V. Rybalchenko
4   Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Physiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
,
Jun Wang
5   Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
Roman N. Rodionov
6   Division of Angiology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
7   College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Australia
,
Stefan R. Bornstein
5   Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
8   Department of Diabetes, School of Life Course Science and Medicine, King´s College London, London, UK
9   Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was originated in November–December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has rapidly spread around the world causing severe health and socioeconomical damage to the entire civilization. The key feature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is upper respiratory tract infection, which may be complicated by bilateral pneumonia. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as a key host factor, required for virus entry into cells. Interestingly, ACE2 is expressed not only in the respiratory system, but also in the other organs and systems including adrenal glands. Here we provide the first description of the pathomorphological changes in adrenal glands in patients with severe COVID-19 characterized by perivascular infiltration of CD3+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes. Due to the central role of the adrenals in the stress response of the organism, this finding is of potential clinical relevance, because infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus might critically impair adrenal function under pathophysiological conditions.

Key words

ACE2 - adrenal - infiltrations - COVID-19


Publication History

Received: 05 May 2020

Accepted: 01 June 2020

Article published online:
06 July 2020

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Stuttgart · New York

 

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