ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021
The scRNA-seq Expression Profiling of the Receptor ACE2 and the Cellular Protease TMPRSS2 Reveals Human Organs Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 90 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
90 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 129 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Post-COVID Syndrome.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2023Pooled it
- Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on clinical outcomes ofFrontiers in endocrinology · 2023Pooled it
- Polymorphisms and mutations of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genes are associated with COVID-19: a systematic review.European journal of medical research · 2022Pooled it
- A systematic review of neurological symptoms and complications of COVID-19.Journal of neurology · 2021Pooled it
- Trial
- TMPRSS2 is dispensable for lethal SARS-CoV-2 BA.5 infection in humanized hACE2 golden hamsters.European journal of medical research · 2026Article
- Single Cell RNA Sequencing in Colorectal Cancer Immunology: Recent Updates, Application, and Emerging Challenges.Current molecular medicine · 2026Review
- The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on men's reproductive health.Biophysical reviews · 2025Review
- Angiotensin‑converting enzyme 2 expression in human tumors: Implications for prognosis and therapy (Review).Oncology reports · 2025Review
- Effects and regulation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 abundance in healthy humans and in patients with SARS-CoV-2.Biochemical Society transactions · 2025Article
- Evaluation of the Mutational Preferences Throughout the Whole Genome of the Identified Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Isolates in Bangladesh.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- SARS-CoV-2 infection of human cortical cells is influenced by the interaction between aneuploidy and biological sex: insights from a Down syndrome in vitro model.Acta neuropathologica · 2025Article
- Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on sperm telomere length.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025Article
- Effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human embryonic development and clinical outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during IVF treatment on embryo morphokinetics and pregnancy outcomes after fresh transfer: a prospective cohort study.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2025Article
- The effects of COVID-19 on semen parameter values in healthy males: a single-centre, retrospective study.PeerJ · 2025Article
- Risk impact of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and spike protein on cardiac tissue: a comprehensive review.Physiological research · 2024Review
- Pathogenesis and virulence of coronavirus disease: Comparative pathology of animal models for COVID-19.Virulence · 2024Review
- Cerebral small vessel injury in mice with damage to ACE2-expressing cerebral vascular endothelial cells and post COVID-19 patients.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2024Article
30 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
COVID-19 patients always develop multiple organ dysfunction syndromes other than lungs, suggesting the novel virus SARS-CoV-2 also invades other organs. Therefore, studying the viral susceptibility of other organs is important for a deeper understanding of viral pathogenesis. Angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) is the receptor protein of SARS-CoV-2, and TMPRSS2 promotes virus proliferation and transmission. We investigated the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression levels of cell types from 31 organs to evaluate the risk of viral infection using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. For the first time, we found that the gall bladder and fallopian tube are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Besides, the nose, heart, small intestine, large intestine, esophagus, brain, testis, and kidney are also identified to be high-risk organs with high expression levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Moreover, the susceptible organs are grouped into three risk levels based on the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression. As a result, the respiratory system, digestive system, and urinary system are at the top-risk level for SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study provides evidence for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the human nervous system, digestive system, reproductive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, and urinary system using scRNA-seq data, which helps in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.