A subset of placentas from pregnant women having the SARS-CoV-2 infection have been found to be infected with the coronavirus using molecular pathology methods including im-munohistochemistry and RNA in situ hybridization. These infected placentas can demonstrate several unusual findings which occur together—chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis and positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2. They frequently also have increased fibrin deposition, which can be massive in some cases. Syncytiotrophoblast is the most frequent fetal-derived cell type to be positive for SARS-CoV-2. It has recently been shown that in a small number of infected placentas, villous stromal macrophages, termed Hofbauer cells, and villous capillary endothelial cells can also stain positive for SARS-CoV-2. This report describes a placenta from a pregnant woman with SARS-CoV-2 that had chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis, increased fibrin deposition and positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, molecular pathology testing including RNAscope and immunohistochem-istry for SARS-CoV-2 and double-staining immunohistochemistry using antibodies to E-cadherin and GATA3 revealed that cytotrophoblast cells stained intensely for SARS-CoV-2. All of the cytotro-phoblast cells that demonstrated positive staining for SARS-CoV-2 were in direct physical contact with overlying syncytiotrophoblast that also stained positive for the virus. The pattern of cytotro-phoblast staining for SARS-CoV-2 was patchy, and there were chorionic villi having diffuse positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2, but without staining of cytotrophoblast. This first detailed description of cytotrophoblast involvement by SARS-CoV-2 adds another fetal cell type from infected placentas that demonstrate viral staining.
Molecular pathology demonstration of sars-cov-2 in cytotrophoblast from placental tissue with chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis and covid-19
Facchetti F.
2021-01-01
Abstract
A subset of placentas from pregnant women having the SARS-CoV-2 infection have been found to be infected with the coronavirus using molecular pathology methods including im-munohistochemistry and RNA in situ hybridization. These infected placentas can demonstrate several unusual findings which occur together—chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis and positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2. They frequently also have increased fibrin deposition, which can be massive in some cases. Syncytiotrophoblast is the most frequent fetal-derived cell type to be positive for SARS-CoV-2. It has recently been shown that in a small number of infected placentas, villous stromal macrophages, termed Hofbauer cells, and villous capillary endothelial cells can also stain positive for SARS-CoV-2. This report describes a placenta from a pregnant woman with SARS-CoV-2 that had chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis, increased fibrin deposition and positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, molecular pathology testing including RNAscope and immunohistochem-istry for SARS-CoV-2 and double-staining immunohistochemistry using antibodies to E-cadherin and GATA3 revealed that cytotrophoblast cells stained intensely for SARS-CoV-2. All of the cytotro-phoblast cells that demonstrated positive staining for SARS-CoV-2 were in direct physical contact with overlying syncytiotrophoblast that also stained positive for the virus. The pattern of cytotro-phoblast staining for SARS-CoV-2 was patchy, and there were chorionic villi having diffuse positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2, but without staining of cytotrophoblast. This first detailed description of cytotrophoblast involvement by SARS-CoV-2 adds another fetal cell type from infected placentas that demonstrate viral staining.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
