Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

February 3, 2020

The digestive system is a potential route of 2019-nCov infection: a bioinformatics analysis based on single-cell transcriptomes

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  • H Zhang, et al propose a potential digestive system route of transmission, based on gene expression data related to angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2) in human tissues from lung, esophagus, stomach, ileum, and colon. Among ACE2-expressing cells in the tissue types assessed, ACE2 expression was found to be highest in the ileum and colon.
  • ACE2 appears to be important in cellular mechanisms of infection by 2019-nCoV and other coronaviruses (e.g., SARS). Patients with 2019-nCov can have GI symptoms. Fecal transmission of SARS CoV was a neglected risk during the SARS epidemic.
  • Epidemiologic support for the potential role in transmission is not provided.

Zhang H, et al. (Jan 31, 2020). The digestive system is a potential route of 2019-nCov infection: a bioinformatics analysis based on single-cell transcriptomes. Pre-Print. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.30.927806v1