Cited by 5,613COVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchLong-Term Effects of COVID-19

Pulmonary Vascular Endothelialitis, Thrombosis, and Angiogenesis in Covid-19

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Ackermann, Maximilian, Verleden, Stijn E., Kuehnel, Mark, Haverich, Axel, Welte, Tobias, Laenger, Florian, Vanstapel, Arno, Werlein, Christopher +6 more·2020·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Progressive respiratory failure is the primary cause of death in the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Despite widespread interest in the pathophysiology of the disease, relatively little is known about the associated morphologic and molecular changes in the peripheral lung of patients who die from Covid-19. METHODS: We examined 7 lungs obtained during autopsy from patients who died from Covid-19 and compared them with 7 lungs obtained during autopsy from patients who died from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to influenza A(H1N1) infection and 10 age-matched, uninfected control lungs. The lungs were studied with the use of seven-color immunohistochemical analysis, micro-computed tomographic imaging, scanning electron microscopy, corrosion casting, and direct multiplexed measurement of gene expression. RESULTS: In patients who died from Covid-19-associated or influenza-associated respiratory failure, the histologic pattern in the peripheral lung was diffuse alveolar damage with perivascular T-cell infiltration. The lungs from patients with Covid-19 also showed distinctive vascular features, consisting of severe endothelial injury associated with the presence of intracellular virus and disrupted cell membranes. Histologic analysis of pulmonary vessels in patients with Covid-19 showed widespread thrombosis with microangiopathy. Alveolar capillary microthrombi were 9 times as prevalent in patients with Covid-19 as in patients with influenza (P<0.001). In lungs from patients with Covid-19, the amount of new vessel growth - predominantly through a mechanism of intussusceptive angiogenesis - was 2.7 times as high as that in the lungs from patients with influenza (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our small series, vascular angiogenesis distinguished the pulmonary pathobiology of Covid-19 from that of equally severe influenza virus infection. The universality and clinical implications of our observations require further research to define. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.).

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  • SARS-CoV-2 facilitates release of coagulation factors, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and formation of leukocyte-platelet aggregates, which might be important mechanisms leading to thromboembolic complications in severe COVID-19.

    “Furthermore, the virus facilitates the release of coagulation factors, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and the formation of leukocyte-platelet aggregates, which might be important mechanisms leading to thromboembolic complications observed in severe COVID-19 (Ackermann et al., 2020; Gupta et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2020b).”

    From COVID-19 and the human innate immune system (2021) · cites this paper as Ackermann et al., 2020

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  1. [19]O’Donnell JS, Sharif K, Emery P, Bridgewood C. McGonagle D. Why the immune mechanisms of pulmonary intravascular coagulopathy in COVID-19 pneumonia are distinct from macrophage activation syndrome with disseminated intravascular coagulation. 4 2020 (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340621484_Why_the_Immune_Mechanisms_of_Pulmonary_Intravascular_Coagulopathy_in_COVID-19_Pneumonia_are_Distinct_from_Macrophage_Activation_Syndrome_with_Disseminated_Intravascular_Coagulation). preprint.

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Authors
Ackermann, M., Verleden, S. E., Kuehnel, M., Haverich, A., Welte, T., Laenger, F., Vanstapel, A., Werlein, C., Stark, H., Tzankov, A., Li, W. W., Li, V. W., Mentzer, S. J., & Jonigk, D.
Affiliations
  • Witten/Herdecke University (DE)
  • From the Institute of Pathology and Department of Molecular Pathology, Helios University Clinic Wuppertal, University of Witten–Herdecke, Wuppertal (M.A.), the Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz (M.A.), the Institute of Pathology (M.K., F.L., C.W., H.S., D.J.), the Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery (A.H.), and the Clinic of Pneumology (T.W.), Hannover Medical School, and the...
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2020-07-09
Volume
383
Issue
2
Pages
120-128
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W3027918021
Cited by
5,613
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 205 · 2025: 272 · 2024: 435 · 2023: 650 · 2022: 1144 · 2021: 1739 · 2020: 1160 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
153.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • H2020 European Research Council (771883)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL134229, HL94567)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, pulmonary thrombosis, intussusceptive angiogenesis, endothelial injury, H1N1 influenza, acute respiratory distress syndrome, diffuse alveolar damage, T cell infiltration, respiratory failure, lung histopathology
MeSH terms
Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Autopsy, Endothelium, Vascular, Female, Humans, Influenza, Human, Lung, Male, Middle Aged, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Pneumonia, Viral, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Respiratory Insufficiency, Thrombosis, Coronavirus Infections, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype, Pandemics

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