Table 2.
Results - Histologic findings in COVID-19 compared to control.
| Lung | COVID-19 | Controls | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAD | 28/28 (100%) | 12/23 (52%) | <.001 |
| Exudative | 14/28 (50%) | 5/12 (42%) | |
| Combined | 9/28 (32%) | 3/12 (25%) | |
| Proliferative | 5/28 (18%) | 4/12 (33%) | |
| qRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 | Positive: 23/27 (85%) | n/a | |
| Negative: 4/27 (15%) | |||
| Lung, VWFa | |||
| Normal pattern | 2/28 (7%) | 6/24 (25%) | .081 |
| Desquamated cells in the alveoli | 20/28 (71%) | 16/24 (67%) | .471 |
| Accentuated capillary stainingb | 3/28 (11%) | 7/24 (29%) | .092 |
| VWF-rich thrombi (all) | 11/28 (39%) | 0/24 (0%) | <.001 |
| Small vessels | 6/28 (21%) | 0/24 (0%) | .019 |
| Medium-sized vessels | 7/28 (25%) | 0/24 (0%) | .009 |
| NETosis thrombi enriched with VWF | 7/28 (25%) | 0/24 (0%) | .009 |
| VWF-rich thrombi or NETosis thrombi enriched with VWFc | 13/28 (46%) | 0/24 (0%) | <.001 |
| Lung, platelets (CD42b)d | |||
| Normal pattern | 9/28 (31%) | 15/24 (63%) | .028 |
| Platelets within hyaline membranes | 5/28 (17%) | 0/24 (0%) | .038 |
| Single scattered megakaryocytes | 4/28 (14%) | 2/24 (8%) | .674 |
| Compact platelet-rich microthrombi | 10/28 (36%) | 2/24 (8%) | .02 |
| NETosis thrombi enriched with platelets | 17/28 (61%) | 9/24 (38%) | .082 |
| Lung, fibrine | |||
| Capillary microthrombi | 12/28 (43%) | 2/24 (8%) | .005 |
| Heart, VWF | COVID-19 | Control | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| qRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 | Positive: 9/20 (45%) | n/a | |
| Negative: 11/20 (55%) | |||
| Capillary microthrombia | 10/20 (50%) | 4/9 (44%) | .55 |
| Lymph nodes | COVID-19 | Control | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| qRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 | Positive: 12/19 (63 %) | n/a | |
| Negative 7/19 (37 %) | |||
| Fibrin microthrombie | 6/19 (32%) | 0/14 (0%) | .024 |
| Lymph nodes, plateletsd | |||
| NETosis thrombi enriched with platelets | 5/18 (28%) | 4/23 (17%) | .336 |
| Increased presence of platelets in sinus | 10/18 (56%) | 8/23 (35%) | .156 |
| Lymph nodes, VWFa | |||
| VWF thrombi | 7/20 (35%) | 4/24 (17%) | .147 |
| More than 5% VWF+ histiocytesa | 8/20 (40%) | 3/14 (21%) | .038 |
DAD was assessed on hematoxylin and eosin stained slides.
DAD, diffuse alveolar damage; n/a, not available; qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction; VWF, von Willebrand factor.
Histologic findings in COVID-19 lung tissue, the myocardium, and pulmonary draining lymph nodes compared with those in respective controls utilizing staining for VWF (FVIII-R).
Accentuated capillary staining without thrombi.
In COVID-19, 46% of patients had VWF-rich thrombi, NETosis thrombi enriched with VWF, or both. P values calculated using 1-sided Fisher exact test.
Histologic findings in COVID-19 lung tissue, the myocardium, and pulmonary draining lymph nodes compared to respective controls utilizing staining for platelets (CD42b).
Histologic findings in COVID-19 lung tissue, the myocardium, and pulmonary draining lymph nodes compared to respective controls utilizing staining for fibrin.