Emerging and Established Histological Techniques for the Analysis of Thrombosis in COVID-19 Lungs

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the potentially lethal disease that is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Patients with COVID-19 have an increased risk of thrombosis, but the role of thrombosis in the pathogenesis and progression of severe COVID-19 remains unclear. A better understanding of the contribution of thrombosis to the development and progression of COVID-19 could lead to the development of novel COVID-19 treatments. For this reason, established and emerging histological techniques have recently been used to analyze COVID-19 lungs quantitatively and visually and in two and three dimensions. The gold standard and novel state-of the-art histological techniques that have been used to assess thrombosis in COVID-19 lungs are described in this Mini Review.

Editorial: Highlights in Thrombosis: 2021

“…Conditions that increase the prevalence of VTE include cancer, sepsis, and coronavirus disease 2019 (16)(17)(18)(19). The incidence of VTE is increased to a greater extent in some cancer types vs. others (16,20).…”

“…Laboratory research should aim to identify biomarkers that are thrombosis-specific and can be measured rapidly and inexpensively in a timely manner. Novel histological imaging techniques that aim to provide 3D information on thrombus formation and resolution in lungs and other organs have been described elsewhere ( 19 ). In another example of 3D modeling, Liu et al performed a retrospective evaluation of computed tomography scans and clinical data of 3 patients undergoing multi-branched endovascular repair.…”