Analysis of pathological changes in the epithelium in COVID-19 patient airways

Wenguang Yin; Weitao Cao; Guangde Zhou; Lifei Wang; Jing Sun; Airu Zhu; Zhongfang Wang; Yumin Zhou; Xiaoqing Liu; Yimin Li; Nanshan Zhong; Jincun Zhao; Lei Liu; Pixin Ran

doi:10.1183/23120541.00690-2020

Analysis of pathological changes in the epithelium in COVID-19 patient airways

ERJ Open Res. 2021 Apr 6;7(2):00690-2020. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00690-2020. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Authors

Wenguang Yin^{1

2}, Weitao Cao^{1

2}, Guangde Zhou^{3

2}, Lifei Wang^{4

2}, Jing Sun^{1

2}, Airu Zhu¹, Zhongfang Wang¹, Yumin Zhou¹, Xiaoqing Liu¹, Yimin Li¹, Nanshan Zhong¹, Jincun Zhao¹, Lei Liu³, Pixin Ran¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
² These authors contributed equally.
³ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, State Key Discipline of Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
⁴ Dept of Radiology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Severe COVID-19 patient airways plugged by MUC5AC-containing mucus exhibit hyperplasia of goblet cells, and hypoplasia of multiciliated cells and club cells, as well as significantly reduced CC16 and MUC5B levels, and increased IL-13 levels https://bit.ly/2M2NcdO.