Brain Inflammation and Intracellular α-Synuclein Aggregates in Macaques after SARS-CoV-2 Infection
philippens, ingrid; Böszörményi, Kinga; Wubben, Jacqueline A. M.; Fagrouch, Zahra C.; Driel, Nikki van; Mayenburg, Amber; Lozovagia, Diana; Roos, Eva; Schurink, Bernadette; Bugiani, Marianna; Bontrop, R.E.; Jinte; Bogers, Willy; Geus-Oei, Lioe-Fee de; Langermans, Jan; Verschoor, Ernst; Stammes, Marieke; Verstrepen, Babs E
(2022) Viruses, volume 14, issue 4, pp. 1 - 15
(Article)
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 causes acute respiratory disease, but many patients also experience neurological complications. Neuropathological changes with pronounced neuroinflammation have been described in individuals after lethal COVID-19, as well as in the CSF of hospitalized patients with neurological complications. To assess whether neuropathological changes can occur after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to
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mild-to-moderate disease, we investigated the brains of four rhesus and four cynomolgus macaques after pulmonary disease and without overt clinical symptoms. Post-mortem analysis demonstrated the infiltration of T-cells and activated microglia in the parenchyma of all infected animals, even in the absence of viral antigen or RNA. Moreover, intracellular α-synu-clein aggregates were found in the brains of both macaque species. The heterogeneity of these manifestations in the brains indicates the virus’ neuropathological potential and should be considered a warning for long-term health risks, following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, macaques, neuroinflammation, positron emission tomography-computed tomography, α-synuclein, Infectious Diseases, Virology
ISSN: 1999-4915
Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Note: Funding Information: Funding: This study was supported by funding from the Biomedical Primate Research Centre. K.P.B. was supported by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network HONOURs, grant agreement no. 721367. This publication was also supported by the European Virus Archive GLOBAL (EVA-GLOBAL) project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement no. 871029. Funding Information: This study was supported by funding from the Biomedical Primate Research Centre. K.P.B. was supported by the European Union?s Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Innovative Training Net-work HONOURs, grant agreement no. 721367. This publication was also supported by the European Virus Archive GLOBAL (EVA-GLOBAL) project, which has received funding from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under grant agreement no. 871029. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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