Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39344023›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of clinical investigation2025

Lung damage in SARS-CoV-2 patients: An autopsy study in the era of vaccination.

Rossana Bussani, Aldostefano Porcari, Maurizio Pinamonti, Anthea Iacobucci, Eleonora Belladonna, Ariella Tomasini, Fabrizio Zanconati, Chiara Collesi, Mauro Giacca, Giorgio Berlot and 2 more

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Article in European journal of clinical investigation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rossana BussaniInstitute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano-Isontina, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Aldostefano PorcariCenter for Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiomyopathies, Cardiovascular Department, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano-Isontina (ASUGI), University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3307-0825
Maurizio PinamontiInstitute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano-Isontina, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Anthea IacobucciDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Eleonora BelladonnaDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Ariella TomasiniDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Fabrizio ZanconatiInstitute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano-Isontina, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Chiara CollesiDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Mauro GiaccaDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Giorgio BerlotDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Gianfranco SinagraDepartment of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Furio SilvestriInstitute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano-Isontina, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThe contribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection on lung damage and the effect of vaccination on either containing the number of deaths or mitigating lung damage has not been systematically investigated.

methodsPost-mortem analysis was performed among consecutive in-patients with COVID-19 deceased in the Province of Trieste (2020-2022). The outcomes of the study were (i) rates of in-hospital mortality, (ii) contribution of COVID-19 to death, (iii) histological extent of lung injury and (iv) impact of vaccination.

resultsA total of 1038 consecutive hospitalized patients who died with SARS-CoV-2 infection were autopsied and deep histological analysis of the lungs was performed in a randomly selected sample of 508 cases. Among them, SARS-CoV-2 infection was (a) the cause of death (n = 90), (b) contributing to death (n = 304) and (c) an accompanying feature (n = 114). The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection as the primary cause of mortality decreased over time (23.8% in 2020, 20.9% in 2021 and 7.9% in 2022). On multivariable analysis, vaccination (any dose) was independently associated with lower rates of death related to SARS-CoV-2 infection (HR .15, p < .001), after adjusting for other independent predictors. A total of 172 patients were vaccinated at least with two doses at the time of death: 93% triple-vaccinated, 7% double-vaccinated. On histological analysis, vaccinated patients had a greater frequency of pneumonia severity score 0 and 1 (20.3% vs. 5.4% and 20.9% vs. 7.7%, p < .001, respectively), and a substantially lower proportion of pneumonia severity score 3 (26.2% vs. 55.1%, p < .001) compared to unvaccinated patients.

conclusionsCOVID-19 vaccination has substantially reduced rates of death related to SARS-CoV-2 infection over time and may have the ability to mitigate lung damage.

Indexed as

AutopsyCOVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesHospital MortalityLungAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCause of DeathFemaleHumansItalyLung InjuryMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2COVID-19 VaccinesCOVID‐19mortalitypost‐mortem analysisSARS‐CoV‐2vaccination

Identifiers

PMID39344023
PMCPMC11628649

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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.