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Published on: July 17, 2016
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 indirectly damages kidney structures
Mathilde Dargelos1, Aymeric Couturier1,2, Sophie Ferlicot3
1Service de Néphrologie et Dialyse, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Hôpital Universitaire Ambroise Paré, Boulogne Billancourt, France.
Background:
The objectives were to characterize Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI).
Methods:
Kidney biopsy samples in two Caucasian patients and one African with COVID-19 AKI were investigated.
Results:
All patients had a high-level non-selective glomerular proteinuria. SARS-CoV-2 samples by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) assay were all-negative, as well as for virus particles in the kidney by electron microscopy. The three patients and patients with other AKI did not differ significantly with regard to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine 2 kidney staining.
Conclusions:
The kidney damage particularly in Caucasians in COVID-19 seems to be an AKI, possibly by the systemic inflammatory response.
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