Figure - PMC

Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

View full-text article in PMC

. 2021 Apr 10;51(7):1652–1659. doi: 10.1002/eji.202048959

Search in PMC
Search in PubMed
View in NLM Catalog
Add to search

© 2021 Wiley‐VCH GmbH

This article is being made freely available through PubMed Central as part of the COVID-19 public health emergency response. It can be used for unrestricted research re-use and analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source, for the duration of the public health emergency.

PMC Copyright notice

Model of COVID‐19 immunopathology: progression to severe COVID‐19 is associated with transition from an epithelial to an endothelial disease.

‐Non severe COVID‐19 is characterized by rapid viral clearance and efficient interferon (type I interferon ‐ IFN‐I) response. Epithelial involvement remains isolated (epithelial disease).

‐In severe COVID‐19, SARS‐CoV‐2 reaches the endothelium (endothelial disease). Viral persistence overactivates complement cascade. C5a may recruit myeloid cells leading to cytokine storm. Endothelial inflammation (endotheliitis) promotes microthrombi formation.