PreprintCited by 331Long-Term Effects of COVID-19SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchCOVID-19 Clinical Research Studies

Morphological, cellular and molecular basis of brain infection in COVID-19 patients

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Crunfli, Fernanda, Carregari, Victor Corasolla, Veras, Flavio Protasio, Vendramini, Pedro Henrique, Valença, Aline Gazzola Fragnani, Antunes, André Saraiva Leão Marcelo, Brandão-Teles, Caroline, da Silva Zuccoli, Giuliana +78 more·2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Although increasing evidence confirms neuropsychiatric manifestations associated mainly with severe COVID-19 infection, the long-term neuropsychiatric dysfunction has been frequently observed after mild infection. Here we show the spectrum of the cerebral impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranging from long-term alterations in mildly infected individuals (orbitofrontal cortical atrophy, neurocognitive impairment, excessive fatigue and anxiety symptoms) to severe acute damage confirmed in brain tissue samples extracted from the orbitofrontal region (via endonasal trans-ethmoidal approach) from individuals who died of COVID-19. We used surface-based analyses of 3T MRI and identified orbitofrontal cortical atrophy in a group of 81 mildly infected patients (77% referred anosmia or dysgeusia during acute stage) compared to 145 healthy volunteers; this atrophy correlated with symptoms of anxiety and cognitive dysfunction. In an independent cohort of 26 individuals who died of COVID-19, we used histopathological signs of brain damage as a guide for possible SARS-CoV-2 brain infection, and found that among the 5 individuals who exhibited those signs, all of them had genetic material of the virus in the brain. Brain tissue samples from these 5 patients also exhibited foci of SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, particularly in astrocytes. Supporting the hypothesis of astrocyte infection, neural stem cell-derived human astrocytes in vitro are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection through a non-canonical mechanism that involves spike-NRP1 interaction. SARS-CoV-2-infected astrocytes manifested changes in energy metabolism and in key proteins and metabolites used to fuel neurons, as well as in the biogenesis of neurotransmitters. Moreover, human astrocyte infection elicits a secretory phenotype that reduces neuronal viability. Our data support the model in which SARS-CoV-2 reaches the brain, infects astrocytes and consequently leads to neuronal death or dysfunction. These deregulated processes are also likely to contribute to the structural and functional alterations seen in the brains of COVID-19 patients.

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Crossref · 10.1101/2020.10.09.20207464

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  1. [56]A. C. Yang, Dysregulation of brain and choroid plexus cell types in severe COVID-19. Nature 595, 565– 571 (2021). 34153974 PMC8400927

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Authors
Crunfli, F., Carregari, V. C., Veras, F. P., Vendramini, P. H., Valença, A. G. F., Antunes, A. S. L. M., Brandão-Teles, C., da Silva Zuccoli, G., Reis-de-Oliveira, G., Silva-Costa, L. C., Saia-Cereda, V. M., Smith, B. J., Codo, A. C., de Souza, G. F., Muraro, S. P., Parise, P. L., Toledo-Teixeira, D. A., de Castro, Í. M. S., Melo, B. M. S., Almeida, G. M., Firmino, E. M. S., Paiva, I. M., Silva, B. M. S., Guimarães, R. M., Mendes, N. D., Ludwig, R. G., Ruiz, G. P., Knittel, T. L., Davanzo, G. G., Gerhardt, J. A., Rodrigues, P. B., Forato, J., Amorim, M. R., Silva, N. B., Martini, M. C., Benatti, M. N., Batah, S., Siyuan, L., João, R. B., Silva, L. S., Nogueira, M. H., Aventurato, Í. K., de Brito, M. R., Alvim, M. K. M., da Silva Júnior, J. R., Damião, L. L., de Sousa, I. M. P., da Rocha, E. D., Gonçalves, S. M., da Silva, L. H. L., Bettini, V., de Campos, B. M., Ludwig, G., Tavares, L. A., Pontelli, M. C., Viana, R. M. M., Martins, R., Vieira, A. S., Alves-Filho, J. C., Arruda, E., Podolski-Gondim, G., Santos, M. V., Neder, L., Cendes, F., Louzada-Junior, P., Oliveira, R. D., Cunha, F. Q., Damásio, A., Vinolo, M. A. R., Munhoz, C. D., Rehen, S. K., Nakaya, H. I., Mauad, T., Duarte-Neto, A. N., da Silva, L. F. F., Dolhnikoff, M., Saldiva, P., Farias, A. S., Moraes-Vieira, P. M. M., Fabro, A. T., Sebollela, A. S., Módena, J. L. P., Yasuda, C. L., Mori, M. A., Cunha, T. M., & Martins-de-Souza, D.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) (BR)
  • Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Corresponding author
  • Yasuda, Clarissa Lin
  • Mori, Marcelo A.
  • Cunha, Thiago Mattar
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
openRxiv
Published
2020-10-13
Volume
119
Issue
35
Pages
e2200960119-e2200960119
ISSN
0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4291021482
Cited by
331
References
139
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 56 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 99 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 2 · 2013: 1
FWCI
36.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-nd
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (20/05601-6, #2013-07559-3, 2019/, 13/07607-8, 2014/, 2013/08216- 2, 2013/07607, 19/00098-7, 20/04860-8, 2013 07607-8, 2014/10 068–4, 13/08216-2, 20/04746-0, 17/25588-1, 2019/11457-8, 20/04919-2, 2013/08216)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (2013/08216-2, 2013/07607-8)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (2013/07607-8, #2013/08216-2)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, brain infection, long COVID, neuropsychiatric symptoms, orbitofrontal cortex, cortical atrophy, neurocognitive impairment, astrocyte energy metabolism, neuronal cell death, brain histopathology, postmortem brain
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Astrocytes, Brain, Humans, Central Nervous System Viral Diseases

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