SARS-CoV-2 is localized in cardiomyocytes: a postmortem biopsy case

Yoshihiko Nakamura; Harutaka Katano; Noriko Nakajima; Yuko Sato; Tadaki Suzuki; Tsuyoshi Sekizuka; Makoto Kuroda; Yoshito Izutani; Shinichi Morimoto; Junichi Maruyama; Megumi Koie; Taisuke Kitamura; Hiroyasu Ishikura

International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Oct 2021)

SARS-CoV-2 is localized in cardiomyocytes: a postmortem biopsy case

Yoshihiko Nakamura,
Harutaka Katano,
Noriko Nakajima,
Yuko Sato,
Tadaki Suzuki,
Tsuyoshi Sekizuka,
Makoto Kuroda,
Yoshito Izutani,
Shinichi Morimoto,
Junichi Maruyama,
Megumi Koie,
Taisuke Kitamura,
Hiroyasu Ishikura

Affiliations

Yoshihiko Nakamura: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan; Corresponding Author: Yoshihiko Nakamura, MD. PhD, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan; telephone: +81-92-801-1011 fax: +81-92-862-8330.
Harutaka Katano: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Noriko Nakajima: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Yuko Sato: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Tadaki Suzuki: Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Tsuyoshi Sekizuka: Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Makoto Kuroda: Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
Yoshito Izutani: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
Shinichi Morimoto: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
Junichi Maruyama: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
Megumi Koie: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
Taisuke Kitamura: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
Hiroyasu Ishikura: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fukuoka University Hospital, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 111
pp. 43 – 46

Abstract

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A 72-year-old patient was admitted to the intensive care unit due to acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by COVID-19. On day 20, the patient experienced shock. The electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation in leads V3–V6 and severe left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 35%–40%. The left ventricle showed basal hypokinesis and apical akinesis, while the creatine kinase level was normal, indicating Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. On day 24, the patient died of multiple organ failure. In post-mortem biopsy, SARS-CoV-2 antigen was detected in cardiomyocytes by immunostaining. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in heart tissue. We need to further analyse the direct link between SARS-CoV-2 and cardiomyocytes.

Published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1201-9712 (Print); 1878-3511 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Infectious and parasitic diseases
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-infectious-diseases/

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