Dermatopathology (Dec 2020)

Type I Interferon Signature in Chilblain-Like Lesions Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Roland Aschoff,
  • Nick Zimmermann,
  • Stefan Beissert,
  • Claudia Günther

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/dermatopathology7030010
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 3
pp. 57 – 63

Abstract

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Contemporarily to the new SARS-CoV-2 mediated COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in patients with acral chilblain lesions has been described. They manifest late after mild disease or asymptomatic exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Their pathogenic evolution is currently unknown. In biopsies from three patients with acral partially ulcerating chilblain lesions that occurred associated to the COVID-19 pandemic, we analysed the expression of type I interferon induced proteins and signal transduction kinases. Histology demonstrated perivascular and periadnexal lymphohistiocytic infiltrates and endothelial dominated MxA-staining, as well as pJAK1 activation. Our findings demonstrate induction of the type I IFN pathway in lesional sections of COVID-19-associated chilblain-like lesions. This may indicate a local antiviral immune activation status associated with preceding exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

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