Kidney involvement is a common complication during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Its association with poor outcomes, especially in critically ill patients, raises issues whether kidney involvement reflects multi-organ damage or if it is a specific feature of the infection. Based on observational studies, autopsy series, and on current understanding of the route of entry of the virus, this review will highlight the different types of kidney involvement during COVID-19 and put them in the perspective of the different pathophysiological hypotheses. Virus entry route through ACE2 ligation and TMPRSS2 coligation allows identifying potential viral targets in the kidney, including tubules, endothelial cells, and glomerulus. While reports have described damages of all these structures and virus kidney tropism has been identified in renal extracts in autopsy series, no direct viral infection has been found in the latter structures thus far on kidney biopsies. Notwithstanding the technical challenge of disclosing viral invasion within tissues and cells, viral direct cytopathogenic effect generally does not appear as the cause of the observed renal damage. Inflammation and altered hemodynamics, described as “viral sepsis,” might rather be responsible for organ dysfunction, including kidneys. We shall place these various mechanisms into an integrated vision where the synergy between direct viral pathogenicity and systemic inflammation enhances renal damage. As SARS-CoV-2 inexorably continues its rampant spread, understanding the sequence of events in the kidneys might thus help inform improved therapeutic strategies, including antiviral drugs and immunomodulators.
【저자키워드】 Inflammation, kidney, COVID, SARS – CoV – 2, COVID–19, viral sepsis, AKI (acute kidney injury), TMPRSS2, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Structure, SARS-CoV-2, ACE2, SARS-COV-2 infection, Infection, virus, Autopsy, observational studies, antiviral drug, Spread, outcomes, immunomodulators, biopsies, cells, endothelial cells, Therapeutic strategies, organ dysfunction, target, systemic inflammation, cytopathogenic effect, synergy, mechanism, critically ill patients, association, Multi-organ damage, renal damage, tissue, Perspective, sequence, kidneys, help, viral invasion, renal, while, viral pathogenicity, direct viral infection, event, highlight, ENhance, raise, responsible, described, reflect, pathophysiological hypotheses, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, Good, Involvement,