HMGB1-TIM3-HO1: A New Pathway of Inflammation in Skin of SARS-CoV-2 Patients? A Retrospective Pilot Study

Gerardo Cazzato; Anna Colagrande; Antonietta Cimmino; Gerolamo Cicco; Vincenza Sara Scarcella; Paola Tarantino; Lucia Lospalluti; Paolo Romita; Caterina Foti; Aurora Demarco; Sara Sablone; Pragnell Maria Victoria Candance; Sebastiano Cicco; Teresa Lettini; Giuseppe Ingravallo; Leonardo Resta

doi:10.3390/biom11081219

Biomolecules (Aug 2021)

HMGB1-TIM3-HO1: A New Pathway of Inflammation in Skin of SARS-CoV-2 Patients? A Retrospective Pilot Study

Gerardo Cazzato,
Anna Colagrande,
Antonietta Cimmino,
Gerolamo Cicco,
Vincenza Sara Scarcella,
Paola Tarantino,
Lucia Lospalluti,
Paolo Romita,
Caterina Foti,
Aurora Demarco,
Sara Sablone,
Pragnell Maria Victoria Candance,
Sebastiano Cicco,
Teresa Lettini,
Giuseppe Ingravallo,
Leonardo Resta

Affiliations

Gerardo Cazzato: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Anna Colagrande: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Antonietta Cimmino: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Gerolamo Cicco: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Vincenza Sara Scarcella: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Paola Tarantino: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Lucia Lospalluti: Section of Dermatology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Paolo Romita: Section of Dermatology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Caterina Foti: Section of Dermatology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Aurora Demarco: Section of Dermatology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Sara Sablone: Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Bari Policlinico Hospital, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
Pragnell Maria Victoria Candance: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Sebastiano Cicco: Section of Internal Medicine “G. Baccelli”, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy
Teresa Lettini: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Giuseppe Ingravallo: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Leonardo Resta: Section of Pathology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11081219
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 8
p. 1219

Abstract

Read online

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has completely disrupted the health systems of the entire planet. From the earliest months, it became increasingly clear that in addition to affecting the upper airways and lungs, there were other organs that could be affected. Among these, the skin became a real “sentinel signal” to be able to even suspect COVID-19. Background: this study deals with a little-explored issue for now: the study of skin immunopathology in SARS-CoV-2 positive subjects ascertained using the most reliable methods available. Methods: we used skin biopsy samples from SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients, studying morphology (Hematoxylin-Eosin), T lymphocyte population (CD4 and CD8), three markers such as HMGB-1, TIM-3 and HO-1 by immunohistochemistry. Results: although the presence of the CD4 and CD8 T population did not differ statistically significantly, we found greater activation and release of HMGB-1 in skin samples from SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, greater immunolabeling for TIM-3 at the level of CD4 and CD8 and a reduced expression of Heme oxygenase 1. Conclusions: these results support the possibility that there is immune deregulation in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients who develop skin manifestations of various kinds.

Published in Biomolecules

ISSN: 2218-273X (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/biomolecules

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords