Molecular changes in skeltal muscle tissue after fatal COVID-19

Description

This retrospective cohort study involved unvaccinated patients admitted to a private hospital in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, diagnosed with COVID-19 and died as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Muscle tissue samples were obtained post-mortem when legal representatives signed an informed consent form. The Ethics Committee of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil (protocol number: 44334921.4.0000.0020) granted ethical approval.

Steps to reproduce

This study included 25 unvaccinated adults who died and tested SARS-CoV-2 positive between March and July 2021. Patients were eligible if they were above 18 years of age, of either sex, who had been hospitalized and died from COVID-19-related clinical conditions, confirmed through a combination of clinical-radiological presentation, reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from nasopharyngeal swabs, and chest tomography showing suggestive COVID-19-related lesions. At the time of death, all participants had documented bacterial infections (Supplementary Table S1) that progressed to septic shock, indicated by organ dysfunction, antimicrobial therapy, and the use of vasoactive drugs. The organ dysfunctions included hypotension (<90/60 mmHg); renal dysfunction as indicated by oliguria (urine output ≤0.5 mL/Kg/h); pulmonary dysfunction manifested with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio < 300 mmHg; haematological dysfunction evidenced by platelet count < 100,000/mm³; metabolic dysfunction in the form of metabolic acidosis; neurological dysfunction characterized by decreased level of consciousness from Glasgow Coma Scale; and liver dysfunction evidenced by significant increase in bilirubin (exceeding twice the reference value). Exclusion criteria included diagnoses of other viral infections, such as HIV, Hepatitis B or C, or other common respiratory viruses, transplant recipients (blood or organs), inability to obtain samples within 4 h post-mortem, or other operational limitations. For further information, please contact: ricardo.pinho@pucpr.br or bioexpucpr@gmail.com

Institutions

• Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana

  PR, Curitiba
• Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos

  SP, Sao Carlos

Categories

Funders

• National Council for Scientific and Technological Development

  Federal District, Brazil

  Grant ID: 307669/2019-0
• Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

  São Paulo, Brazil

  Grant ID: 2020/13939–7

Licence