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Hirata Y, Katano H, Iida S, Mine S, Nagasawa S, Makino Y, Motomura A, Ozono S, Sato Y, Sekizuka T, Kuroda M, Yamaguchi R, Inokuchi G, Torimitsu S, Akitomi S, Yajima D, Saitoh H, Suzuki T, Iwase H. Genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in forensic autopsy cases of COVID-19. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28990. [PMID: 37537838 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Numerous genomic analyses of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been conducted, highlighting its variations and lineage transitions. Despite the importance of forensic autopsy in investigating deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including out-of-hospital deaths, viral genomic analysis has rarely been reported due in part to postmortem changes. In this study, various specimens were collected from 18 forensic autopsy cases with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed the distribution of the virus in the body, primarily in the respiratory organs. Next-generation sequencing determined the complete genome sequences in 15 of the 18 cases, although some cases showed severe postmortem changes or degradation of tissue RNA. Intrahost genomic diversity of the virus was identified in one case of death due to COVID-19. The accumulation of single-nucleotide variations in the lung of the case suggested the intrahost evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Lung of the case showed diffuse alveolar damage histologically and positivity for SARS-CoV-2 by immunohistochemical analysis and in situ hybridization, indicating virus-associated pneumonia. This study provides insights into the feasibility of genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in forensic autopsy cases and the potential for uncovering important information in COVID-19 deaths, including out-of-hospital deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichiro Hirata
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Harutaka Katano
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shun Iida
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sohtaro Mine
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Nagasawa
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yohsuke Makino
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayumi Motomura
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Legal Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, Japan
| | - Seiya Ozono
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Sato
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Sekizuka
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Kuroda
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rutsuko Yamaguchi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Go Inokuchi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suguru Torimitsu
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Akitomi
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Medical Association Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yajima
- Department of Legal Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hisako Saitoh
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotaro Iwase
- Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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