Aims: A considerable proportion of patients affected by coronavirus respiratory disease (COVID-19) develop cardiac injury. The viral impact in cardiomyocytes deserves, however, further investigations, especially in asymptomatic patients. Methods: We investigated for SARS-CoV-2 presence and activity in heart tissues of six consecutive COVID-19 patients deceased from respiratory failure showing no signs of cardiac involvement and with no history of heart disease. Cardiac autopsy samples were collected within 2 h after death, and then analysed by digital PCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, RNAScope, and transmission electron microscopy assays. Results: The presence of SARS-CoV-2 into cardiomyocytes was invariably detected in all assays. A variable pattern of cardiomyocyte injury was observed, spanning from absence of cell death and subcellular alterations hallmarks, to intracellular oedema and sarcomere ruptures. In addition, we found active viral transcription in cardiomyocytes, by detecting both sense and antisense SARS-CoV-2 spike RNA. Conclusions: In this autopsy analysis of patients with no clinical signs of cardiac involvement, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in cardiomyocytes has been detected, determining variable patterns of intracellular damage. These findings suggest the need for cardiologic surveillance in surviving COVID-19 patients not displaying a cardiac phenotype.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, heart, Cardiomyocytes, 【초록키워드】 immunohistochemistry, coronavirus, Respiratory failure, Autopsy, RNA, digital PCR, Surveillance, Respiratory disease, Patient, death, phenotype, immunofluorescence, cell death, transmission electron microscopy, disease, asymptomatic patients, SARS-CoV-2 spike, cardiac, Injury, Deceased, COVID-19 patient, alteration, oedema, Clinical sign, viral transcription, heart tissue, autopsy analysis, affected, collected, develop, proportion, assays, addition, investigated, analysed, absence, displaying, subcellular, 【제목키워드】 activity, clinical, cardiac, evidence of, SIGN, Involvement,