High SARS-CoV-2 tropism and activation of immune cells in the testes of non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19 patients.
Guilherme Mattos Jardim CostaSamyra Maria Dos Santos Nassif LacerdaAndré F A FigueiredoNatália T WnukMarcos R G BrenerLídia M AndradeGabriel H Campolina-SilvaAndrea Kauffmann-ZehLucila G G PacificoAlice F VersianiMaísa M AntunesFernanda R SouzaGeovanni Dantas CassaliAndré L Caldeira-BrantHelio Chiarini-GarciaFernanda G de SouzaVivian Vasconcelos CostaFlavio G da FonsecaMauricio Lacerda NogueiraGuilherme R F CamposLucas M KangussuEstefânia M N MartinsLoudiana M AntonioCintia BittarPaula RahalRenato Santana de AguiarBárbara P MendesMarcela S ProcópioThiago P FurtadoYuri L GuimaraesGustavo Batista MenezesAna Martinez-MarchalKyle E OrwigMiguel Angel Brieño-EnríquezMarcelo H FurtadoPublished in: BMC biology (2023)
Our findings indicate that high angiotensin II levels and activation of mast cells and macrophages may be critical for testicular pathogenesis. Importantly, our findings suggest that patients who become critically ill may exhibit severe alterations and harbor the active virus in the testes.