Visceral fat inflammation and fat embolism are associated with lung's lipidic hyaline membranes in subjects with COVID-19.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preliminary data suggested that fat embolism could explain the importance of visceral obesity as a critical determinant of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Methods

We performed a comprehensive histomorphologic analysis of autoptic visceral adipose tissue (VAT), lungs and livers of 19 subjects with COVID-19 (COVID-19+), and 23 people without COVID-19 (controls). Human adipocytes (hMADS) infected with SARS-CoV-2 were also studied.

Results

Although there were no between-group differences in body-mass-index and adipocytes size, a higher prevalence of CD68+ macrophages among COVID-19+ VAT was detected (p = 0.005) and accompanied by crown-like structures presence, signs of adipocytes stress and death. Consistently, human adipocytes were successfully infected

SUBMITTER: Colleluori G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8790008 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature