Russian scientists have established the causes of post-convulsive syndrome

Scientists of Sechenov University for the first time in Russia linked postcoidal complications with the long-term preservation of SARS-CoV-2 components in the tissues of internal organs. Traces of the virus were found in patients long after recovery, in some cases even 35 months later.

In the course of the work, the researchers analyzed tissue obtained during operations and autopsies using PCR and immunohistochemical analysis methods. The results confirmed that the virus did not disappear from the body without a trace.

"Researchers found RNA and coronavirus proteins in the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart and endometrium even months and years after the infection," the report said.

According to research, viral components (in particular, Spike-protein and nucleocapsid protein) are localized in macrophages and endothelium - the inner lining of blood vessels. This provokes chronic inflammation and impaired blood supply to tissues, which becomes the basis for complications.

In addition, scientists have established a link between COVID-19 and the course of cancer. In patients with lung cancer, viral components were found in both tumor cells and the vascular lining. Particular attention was drawn to the increased content of cancer stem cells (RCC) in adenocarcinomas, which is associated with the risk of metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy.

RSCs are a small population of mutational cells inside a malignant tumor that have the properties of ordinary stem cells. In particular, they are able to endlessly share and create copies of themselves

“There is a hypothesis that the coronavirus contributes to the fact that stem cancer cells pass from a dormant, that is, dormant, state to an active one,” said pathologist Elena Shchelokova.

The study also affected the work of the cardiovascular and reproductive systems. In the tissues of the heart, signs of myocarditis and heart failure were found. At the same time, experts note the specific nature of the lesions, which can confuse doctors when making a diagnosis.

“And myocarditis associated with coronavirus, has its own characteristics: the virus enters the endothelium of the vessels, damaging it and preventing the vessels from functioning normally and nourishing tissues, because of which the clinical manifestations of postcoid myocarditis can resemble coronary heart disease. So for the appointment of therapy, careful diagnosis is important, explained Evgenia Kogan, director of the Reference Center for Morphological and Immunohistochemical Methods of Research at Sechenov University.

Special attention scientists paid to women's health. The detection of components of the virus in the endometrium - the lining of the uterus - indicates possible risks of infertility.

“Given that a large part of the COVID-19 patients are young people, in the first months after the disease and in the longer term, you need to pay attention to your reproductive health,” warns Tatiana Demura, director of the Institute of Clinical Morphology and Digital Pathology of Sechenov University.

Experts urge not to ignore the consequences of even mild forms of the disease, especially if there is a history of hypertension, diabetes or obesity. For timely detection of complications, it is recommended: computed tomography (CT) - to monitor the condition of the lungs; gastroscopy - to exclude inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract.

Last year, Russian geneticists as part of an international team discovered a unique DNA sequence (a variant near the FOXP4 gene), which more than one and a half times increases the likelihood of developing postcoid syndrome. It was previously known that mutations in it can lead to severe COVID-19 itself.