SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-induced inflammation underlies proarrhythmia in COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have a 1.7-fold higher arrhythmia risk with rates of cardiac complications ranging from 2% non-ICU patients to 59% in non-survivors. Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia, is a frequent complication of acute and long COVID-19. The high expression of ACE2 in the heart suggested that infectious virus may underlie cardiac complications. However, we recently reported in human cardiac tissue from fatal COVID-19 cases perivascular spike protein, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, vascular damage, and cardiac remodeling without evidence for direct infection of cardiac cells by SARS-CoV2. Mislocalization of intercalated disc (ID) components, connexin-43 (Cx43) gap junctions and Na_V1.5 sodium channels, was also evident in pati

SUBMITTER: Mezache L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12484841 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature