Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in nasal brushings and olfactory mucosa biopsies of COVID-19 patients

The aim of the present study is to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 of patients affected by COVID-19 in olfactory mucosa (OM), sampled with nasal brushing (NB) and biopsy, and to assess whether a non-invasive procedure, such as NB, might be used as a large-scale procedure for demonstrating SARS-CoV...

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Published in:PloS one Vol. 17; no. 4; p. e0266740
Main Authors: Pipolo, Carlotta, Bottai, Daniele, Fuccillo, Emanuela, Aronica, Eleonora, Bruschi, Fabio, Bulfamante, Antonio Mario, Castellani, Luca, Canevini, Maria Paola, Chiumello, Davide, Ferrari, Sergio, Martinelli, Carla, Muttini, Stefano, Priori, Alberto, Saibene, Alberto Maria, Spoldi, Chiara, Tosi, Delfina, Zanusso, Gianluigi, Bulfamante, Gaetano Pietro, Felisati, Giovanni
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Public Library of Science 12.04.2022
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects:
Age
Anesthesia
Basal cells
Biology and life sciences
Biopsy
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 - diagnosis
Cytogenetics
Cytoplasm
Disease
Endoscopy
Epidemics
Health sciences
Hospitals
Humans
Immunocytochemistry
Immunofluorescence
Intensive care
Italy
Medicine and health sciences
Mucosa
Neurons
Neurosciences
Olfactory epithelium
Olfactory Mucosa - pathology
Olfactory neurons
Otolaryngology
Pathology
Patients
Rhinitis
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Viral diseases
Italy
ISSN:1932-6203, 1932-6203
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Summary:The aim of the present study is to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 of patients affected by COVID-19 in olfactory mucosa (OM), sampled with nasal brushing (NB) and biopsy, and to assess whether a non-invasive procedure, such as NB, might be used as a large-scale procedure for demonstrating SARS-CoV-2 presence in olfactory neuroepithelium. Nasal brushings obtained from all the COVID-19 patients resulted positive to SARS-CoV-2 immunocytochemistry while controls were negative. Double immunofluorescence showed that SARS-CoV-2 positive cells included supporting cells as well as olfactory neurons and basal cells. OM biopsies showed an uneven distribution of SARS-CoV-2 positivity along the olfactory neuroepithelium, while OM from controls were negative. SARS-CoV-2 was distinctively found in sustentacular cells, olfactory neurons, and basal cells, supporting what was observed in NB. Ultrastructural analysis of OM biopsies showed SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in the cytoplasm of sustentacular cells. This study shows the presence of SARS-CoV-2 at the level of the olfactory neuroepithelium in patients affected by COVID-19. For the first time, we used NB as a rapid non-invasive tool for assessing a potential neuroinvasion by SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266740