Neutrophil Activity and Extracellular Matrix Degradation: Drivers of Lung Tissue Destruction in Fatal COVID-19 Cases and Implications for Long COVID.

ABSTRACT: Pulmonary fibrosis, severe alveolitis, and the inability to restore alveolar epithelial architecture are primary causes of respiratory failure in fatal COVID-19 cases. However, the factors contributing to abnormal fibrosis in critically ill COVID-19 patients remain unclear. This study analyzed the histopathology of lung specimens from eight COVID-19 and six non-COVID-19 postmortems. We assessed the distribution and changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including elastin and collagen, in lung alveoli through morphometric analyses. Our findings reveal the significant degradation of elastin fibers along the thin alveolar walls of the lung parenchyma, a process that precedes the onset of interstitial collagen deposition and widespread intra-alveolar fibrosis. Lungs with collapsed alv

SUBMITTER: Narasaraju T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10886497 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature