A proof of evidence supporting abnormal immunothrombosis in severe COVID-19: naked megakaryocyte nuclei increase in the bone marrow and lungs of critically ill patients. (16th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roncati, Luca; Ligabue, Giulia; Nasillo, Vincenzo; Lusenti, Beatrice; Gennari, William; Fabbiani, Luca; Malagoli, Claudia; Gallo, Graziana; Giovanella, Silvia; Lupi, Massimo; Salviato, Tiziana; Paolini, Ambra; Costantini, Matteo; Trenti, Tommaso; Maiorana, Antonio
• Is Part Of: Platelets. Volume 31:Number 8(2020)
• Page Start: 1085
• Page End: 1089
• Publication Date: 2020-11-16
• Subjects: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) -- immunothrombosis -- interleukin-6 (IL-6) -- megakaryocytes -- naked megakaryocyte nuclei -- severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); Blood platelets -- Periodicals; Blood Platelets -- Periodicals; 615.39
• DOI: 10.1080/09537104.2020.1810224
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-7104

Abstract

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency with many clinical facets, and new knowledge about its pathogenetic mechanisms is deemed necessary; among these, there are certainly coagulation disorders. In the history of medicine, autopsies and tissue sampling have played a fundamental role in order to understand the pathogenesis of emerging diseases, including infectious ones; compared to the past, histopathology can be now expanded by innovative techniques and modern technologies. For the first time in worldwide literature, we provide a detailed postmortem and biopsy report on the marked increase, up to 1 order of magnitude, of naked megakaryocyte nuclei in the bone marrow and lungs from serious COVID-19 patients. Most likely related to high interleukin-6 serum levels stimulating megakaryocytopoiesis, this phenomenon concurs to explain well the pulmonary abnormal immunothrombosis in these critically ill patients, all without molecular or electron microscopy signs of megakaryocyte infection.