Stigliani Sara, Massarotti Claudia, Coco Simona, Mantica Guglielmo, Piol Nataniele, Spina Bruno, Maccarini Elena, Colombo Monica, Anserini Paola, Scaruffi Paola
UOS Physiopathology of Human Reproduction, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal-Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
World J Mens Health. 2023 Oct;41(4):969-973. doi: 10.5534/wjmh.220272. Epub 2023 Jul 18.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 that has been spreading worldwide since December 2019. Viral entry into cells requires expression of both angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) on the surface of the host cell. The male reproductive system, including the prostate, was supposed to be a potential target for SARS-CoV-2 since the presence of ACE and TMPRS2 receptors. This paper investigated for the first time the presence of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA in the prostatic tissue of a patient with active infection. In addition, we searched for the virus in the prostate of five patients after their recovery from COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in any of the prostate tissues tested even during the acute phase of infection. As case series have limitations, causality cannot be excluded and sporadic evidence of prostatic tissue invasion by SARS-CoV-2 may be detectable.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）引发的2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）自2019年12月以来一直在全球范围内传播。病毒进入细胞需要宿主细胞表面同时表达血管紧张素转换酶2（ACE2）和跨膜蛋白酶丝氨酸2（TMPRSS2）。由于存在ACE和TMPRS2受体，包括前列腺在内的男性生殖系统被认为是SARS-CoV-2的潜在靶标。本文首次调查了一名处于活跃感染期患者前列腺组织中SARS-CoV-2 mRNA的存在情况。此外，我们还在五名从COVID-19康复后的患者的前列腺中寻找该病毒。即使在感染急性期，在所检测的任何前列腺组织中均未检测到SARS-CoV-2 RNA。由于病例系列研究存在局限性，不能排除因果关系，SARS-CoV-2侵袭前列腺组织的零星证据可能是可检测到的。
