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. 2022 May 9;13:2539. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-30195-w

Fig. 5. The absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in bone tissues.

Fig. 5

a Representative multicolor immunohistochemical staining for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP), angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), TRAP, CD68, and IL-1β was performed at the distal metaphysis of the femur after challenge with either PBS (Mock) or SARS-CoV-2 (4 dpi). Tile scans (scale bars = 200 µm) and high-magnification of the boxed regions (P periosteum, T trabeculae, S synovium; scale bars = 50 µm) are shown. Arrowheads indicate osteoclasts on the bone surface (n = 3). b Viral genome copies of the lung tissue (n = 5) and bone tissue (n = 4) harvested from SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. The viral genome copy was below the detection limit (dashed line) for all four bone samples. c The inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, in the serum of the hamsters treated with either PBS or SARS-CoV-2. d The expression of interferon signaling-related genes and e viral infection-associated inflammatory genes in bone tissue at day 4 after treatment with either PBS or SARS-CoV-2. Data were mean ± SD. ns: P > 0.05, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s post hoc test (c) or two-sided Student’s t-test (d, e).