Fig. 8: Quantification of reactive microglia at the level of the medulla oblongata reveals an anatomically segregated pattern of inflammation.
From: Detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and genomic sequences in human brainstem nuclei
a Anatomical heatmap of activated microglia within the medulla oblongata in COVID-19. b, c TMEM119 immunoperoxidase staining of comparable regions of the medulla oblongata in COVID-19 subjects (above) and controls (below). Inset: neuronophagia in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Arrow: microglial nodule. d Welch one-way ANOVA of microglial densities per counting fields (FOV) reveals statistically significant differences between FOVs of the Tegmentum (T; FOV1–3) when compared to FOVs of the Pes (P; FOV4–6). e Correlation heatmap between COVID-19 subject clinical data and neuropathological findings. f Welch one-way ANOVA between anatomical compartments (T, tegmentum; P, pes) between COVID-19 subjects (n = 21, red) and controls (n = 18, black) reveals statistically significant differences both at the level of the medullary tegmentum (p < 0.0001) and pes (p = 0.017). g Welch corrected t-test plot of microglial densities (microglia/mm2) in the medulla oblongata of COVID-19 subjects treated (n = 10, red) and not treated (n = 11, black) with intensive oxygen therapy (p > 0.05), and of COVID-19 subjects with (n = 5, red) and without (n = 16, black) Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological changes (p > 0.05). h Welch one-way ANOVA between anatomical compartments (T, tegmentum; P, pes) between COVID-19 subjects with (n = 5, red) and without (n = 16) viral tropism (RT-PCR/IHC+ versus RT-PCR/IHC−) reveals statistically significant differences at the level of the medullary tegmentum (p = 0.017). Error bars indicate standard deviation.
