Do adipocytes serve as a reservoir for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2?

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

Abstract

Obesity is associated with a higher risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and increased mortality. In the current study, we have investigated the expression of ACE2, NRP1, and HMGB1, known to facilitate severe acute respiratory symptom coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) cell entry, in adipose tissue from non-COVID-19 control patients with normal weight, overweight, and obesity. All factors were expressed, but no significant differences between the groups were observed. Furthermore, diabetes status and medications did not affect the expression of ACE2. Only in obese men, the expression of ACE2 in adipose tissue was higher than in obese women. In the adipose tissue from patients who died from COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in the adipocytes even though the patients died more than 3 weeks after the acute infection. This suggests that adipocytes may act as reservoirs for the virus. In COVID-19 patients, the expression of NRP1 was increased in COVID-19 patients with overweight and obesity. Furthermore, we observed an increased infiltration with macrophages in the COVID-19 adipose tissues compared to control adipose tissue. In addition, crown-like structures of dying adipocytes surrounded by macrophages were observed in the adipose tissue from COVID-19 patients. These data suggest that in obese individuals, in addition to an increased mass of adipose tissue that could potentially be infected, increased macrophage infiltration due to direct infection with SARS-CoV-2 and sustained viral shedding, rather than preinfection ACE2 receptor expression, may be responsible for the increased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in patients with obesity.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummere230027
FachzeitschriftThe Journal of endocrinology
Jahrgang258
Ausgabenummer2
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 1 Aug. 2023
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

Scopus 85163471914
WOS 001043243100004
ORCID /0000-0002-6932-333X/work/142239675
Mendeley 79e4ed21-9cea-3068-bd8a-0b2fdc540dab

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Schlagwörter

  • Male, Humans, Female, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, Overweight/complications, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/metabolism, Adipocytes/metabolism, Obesity/complications, Obesity, Covid-19, Macrophages, Insulin resistance, Metabolic disorders, metabolic disorders, macrophages, insulin resistance, obesity