Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36649811›Full record

ArticleCardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology

Atrial inflammation and microvascular thrombogenicity are increased in deceased COVID-19 patients.

Linghe Wu, Zhu Jiang, Eva R Meulendijks, Umit Baylan, Ingeborg S E Waas, Marianna Bugiani, Pieter R Tuinman, Judith Fronczek, Leo M A Heunks, Joris R de Groot and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Factor XII-A New Therapeutic Target? A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Pooled it
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  3. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Linghe WuDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, AUMC, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: l.wu1@amsterdamumc.nl.
Zhu JiangDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, AUMC, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Eva R MeulendijksDepartment of Cardiology, AUMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Umit BaylanDepartment of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ingeborg S E WaasDepartment of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Marianna BugianiDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Pieter R TuinmanDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, AUMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Judith FronczekDepartment of Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Monash Monash University, Southbank, Victoria, Australia.
Leo M A HeunksDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, AUMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Joris R de GrootDepartment of Cardiology, AUMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Albert C van RossumDepartment of Cardiology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Hans W M NiessenDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, AUMC, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Cardiac Surgery, AUMC, location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Paul A J KrijnenDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, AUMC, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pathology, AUMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NLVictorian Institute of Forensic Medicine · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHistopathological studies have shown inflammation, cardiomyocyte injury, and microvascular thrombosis in the ventricular myocardium of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, although atrial dysfunction is common in COVID-19, little is known about histopathological changes in the atria of the heart. We therefore analyzed inflammation, cardiomyocyte injury, and microvascular thrombogenicity in the atria of deceased patients with COVID-19.

methodsAtrial tissue was obtained from autopsied COVID-19 (n=16) patients and control patients (n=10) and analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The infiltration of CD45+ leukocytes, CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages, MPO+ neutrophils, and Tryptase+ mast cells were quantified as well as cardiomyocyte damage and microvascular thrombosis. In addition, Tissue Factor (TF) and Factor XII (FXII) were quantified as markers of microvascular thrombogenicity.

resultsThe numbers of lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils were significantly increased in the atrial myocardium and epicardial atrial adipose tissue of COVID-19 patients compared with the control group. This was accompanied by dispersed cardiomyocyte injury, the occasional presence of microvascular thrombosis, and an increased presence of TF and FXII in the microvascular endothelium.

conclusionsSevere COVID-19 induces inflammation, cardiomyocyte injury, and microvascular thrombosis in the atria of the heart.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCOVID-19ThrombosisHeart AtriaHumansInflammationAtriaCoagulation factorsFirst and second wave COVID-19InflammationThrombi

Identifiers

PMID36649811
PMCPMC9839463
OpenAlexW4316042056

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.