Increased expression of ACE2, the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, in alveolar and bronchial epithelium of smokers and COPD subjects

Merel Jacobs; Hannelore P Van Eeckhoutte; Sara R A Wijnant; Wim Janssens; Guy F Joos; Guy G Brusselle; Ken R Bracke

doi:10.1183/13993003.02378-2020

Increased expression of ACE2, the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor, in alveolar and bronchial epithelium of smokers and COPD subjects

Eur Respir J. 2020 Aug 20;56(2):2002378. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02378-2020. Print 2020 Aug.

Authors

Merel Jacobs¹, Hannelore P Van Eeckhoutte¹, Sara R A Wijnant^{1

2

3}, Wim Janssens⁴, Guy F Joos¹, Guy G Brusselle^{1

2

5}, Ken R Bracke⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
² Dept of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
³ Dept of Bioanalysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁴ Respiratory Division and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁵ Dept of Respiratory Diseases, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
⁶ Laboratory for Translational Research in Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium [email protected].

Abstract

This study demonstrates increased protein levels of ACE2 in alveolar and bronchial epithelium of smokers and subjects with COPD, which might facilitate host cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 https://bit.ly/2ZazOrd

Publication types

Letter

MeSH terms

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Belgium
Betacoronavirus / metabolism*
Biomarkers / blood
Biopsy, Needle
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
In Vitro Techniques
Linear Models
Male
Multivariate Analysis
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / metabolism*
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / blood
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / epidemiology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / pathology*
RNA, Messenger / blood*
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
Respiratory Mucosa / metabolism
Respiratory Mucosa / pathology*
SARS-CoV-2
Sensitivity and Specificity
Smoking / blood
Smoking / epidemiology*
Specimen Handling
Statistics, Nonparametric

Substances

Biomarkers
RNA, Messenger
Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
ACE2 protein, human
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2