Pathological study of impact of SARS coronavirus on heart and its conduction system in SARS patients
- VernacularTitle:SARS冠状病毒对心脏及其传导系统影响的病理学研究
- Author:
Guangde ZHOU
;
Jingmin ZHAO
;
Songshan WANG
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
severe acute respiratory syndrome;
SARS coronavirus;
heart conduction system;
pathology
- From:
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army
1982;0(01):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) on heart and its conduction system in SARS patients. Methods Six specimens of heart tissue and one specimen of heart condunction system from patients who died from SARS were studied histologically, and by histochemical and in situ hybridization examinations. Results The pathological changes showed that a part of cardiomyocytes manifested slight vacuolar degeneration, atrophy and cytoplasmic lysis, stromal edema, mild mononuclear infiltration, and vasculitis. SARS-CoV was identified within some cardiomyocytes and specialized cardiomyocytes which belonged to the conduction system of the heart by in situ hybridization in combination with Macchiavello's viral inclusion stain. Conclusions The results showed that SARS-CoV could invade not only cardiomyocytes, but also the specialized cells of heart conduction system, thus resulting in mild viral myocarditis-like pathological changes. The results provided the evidence in explaining the clinical manifestations of cardiac dysfunction in patients with SARS.
