BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the consequences in Europe of the COVID-19 outbreak on pathology laboratories orientated toward the diagnosis of thoracic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was sent to 71 pathology laboratories from 21 European countries. The questionnaire requested information concerning the organization of biosafety, the clinical and molecular pathology, the biobanking, the workload, the associated research into COVID-19, and the organization of education and training during the COVID-19 crisis, from 15 March to 31 May 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned from 53/71 (75%) laboratories from 18 European countries. The biosafety procedures were heterogeneous. The workload in clinical and molecular pathology decreased dramatically by 31% (range, 3%-55%) and 26% (range, 7%-62%), respectively. According to the professional category, between 28% and 41% of the staff members were not present in the laboratories but did teleworking. A total of 70% of the laboratories developed virtual meetings for the training of residents and junior pathologists. During the period of study, none of the staff members with confirmed COVID-19 became infected as a result of handling samples. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on most of the European pathology laboratories included in this study. Urgent implementation of several changes to the organization of most of these laboratories, notably to better harmonize biosafety procedures, was noted at the onset of the pandemic and maintained in the event of a new wave of infection occurring in Europe.
- MeSH
- banky biologického materiálu organizace a řízení statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- COVID-19 epidemiologie prevence a kontrola virologie MeSH
- epidemický výskyt choroby MeSH
- laboratorní medicína metody statistika a číselné údaje trendy MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- molekulární patologie metody statistika a číselné údaje trendy MeSH
- nemoci hrudníku diagnóza terapie MeSH
- odběr biologického vzorku metody statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- omezování biologických rizik statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- pandemie MeSH
- předpověď MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky * MeSH
- SARS-CoV-2 izolace a purifikace fyziologie MeSH
- ústavní laboratorní služby statistika a číselné údaje trendy MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- multicentrická studie MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
Plectin, a highly versatile cytolinker protein, provides tissues with mechanical stability through the integration of intermediate filaments (IFs) with cell junctions. Here, we hypothesize that plectin-controlled cytoarchitecture is a critical determinant of the intestinal barrier function and homeostasis. Mice lacking plectin in an intestinal epithelial cell (IEC; PleΔIEC) spontaneously developed colitis characterized by extensive detachment of IECs from the basement membrane (BM), increased intestinal permeability, and inflammatory lesions. Moreover, plectin expression was reduced in the colons of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and negatively correlated with the severity of colitis. Mechanistically, plectin deficiency in IECs led to aberrant keratin filament (KF) network organization and the formation of dysfunctional hemidesmosomes (HDs) and intercellular junctions. In addition, the hemidesmosomal α6β4 integrin (Itg) receptor showed attenuated association with KFs, and protein profiling revealed prominent downregulation of junctional constituents. Consistent with the effects of plectin loss in the intestinal epithelium, plectin-deficient IECs exhibited remarkably reduced mechanical stability and limited adhesion capacity in vitro. Feeding mice with a low-residue liquid diet that reduced mechanical stress and antibiotic treatment successfully mitigated epithelial damage in the PleΔIEC colon.
- MeSH
- desmozomy genetika metabolismus MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- keratiny metabolismus MeSH
- kolitida metabolismus prevence a kontrola MeSH
- kolon patologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- myši knockoutované MeSH
- myši MeSH
- plektin genetika metabolismus MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- střevní sliznice metabolismus patologie MeSH
- ulcerózní kolitida metabolismus prevence a kontrola MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- myši MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
