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Electron microscopy of SARS-CoV-2: a challenging task

2020; Elsevier BV; Volume: 395; Issue: 10238 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0140-6736(20)31188-0

1474-547X

Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Sara Miller, Roosecelis B. Martines, Hannah Bullock, Sherif R. Zaki,

Dermatological and COVID-19 studies

We read with interest the Correspondence by Zsuzsanna Varga and colleagues1Varga Z Flammer AJ Steiger P et al.Endothelial cell infection and endotheliitis in COVID-19.Lancet. 2020; 395: 1417-1418Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (4493) Google Scholar on the possible infection of endothelial cells by SARS-CoV-2 using electron microscopic (EM) images as evidence. However, we believe the EM images in the Correspondence do not show coronavirus particles but instead show cross-sections of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). These spherical structures are surrounded by dark dots, which might have been interpreted as spikes on coronavirus particles but are instead ribosomes. The purported particles are free within the cytoplasm, whereas within a coronavirus-infected cell, accumulations of virus particles would be found in membrane-bound areas in the cisternae of the RER–Golgi area, where the spikes would be located on the inside of the cisternal space.2Goldsmith CS Tatti KM Ksiazek TG et al.Ultrastructural characterization of SARS coronavirus.Emerg Infect Dis. 2004; 10: 320-326Crossref PubMed Scopus (311) Google Scholar In addition, cross-sections through the viral nucleocapsid are not seen in the interior of these structures as would be found with coronavirus particles (figure). Just recently, there have been two additional reports3Su H Yang M Wan C et al.Renal histopathological analysis of 26 postmortem findings of patients with COVID-19 in China.Kidney Int. 2020; (published online April 9.)DOI:10.1016/j.kint.2020.04.003Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1274) Google Scholar, 4Kissling S Rotman S Gerber C et al.Collapsing glomerulopathy in a COVID-19 patient.Kidney Int. 2020; (published online April 15.)DOI:10.1016/j.kint.2020.04.006Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (237) Google Scholar in which structures that can normally be found in the cytoplasm of a cell have been misinterpreted as viral particles.5Miller SE Brealey JK Visualization of putative coronavirus in kidney.Kidney Int. 2020; (published online May 12.)DOI:10.1016/j.kint.2020.05.004Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (100) Google Scholar EM can be a powerful tool to show evidence of infection by a virus, but care must be taken when interpreting cytoplasmic structures to correctly identify virus particles. We declare no competing interests. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Electron microscopy of SARS-CoV-2: a challenging task – Authors' replyWe thank Cynthia Goldsmith and colleagues for their interest in our recent Correspondence.1 We described autopsy findings from patients who had died from COVID-19 and showed a systemic endotheliitis with evidence of loss of integrity of the endothelial monolayer.1 Full-Text PDF Endothelial cell infection and endotheliitis in COVID-19Cardiovascular complications are rapidly emerging as a key threat in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in addition to respiratory disease. The mechanisms underlying the disproportionate effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on patients with cardiovascular comorbidities, however, remain incompletely understood.1,2 Full-Text PDF