The dissertation is devoted to the current scientific problem - the determination of the morphological features of damage to the cells of the peripheral link of the olfactory system during infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, taking into account the influence of the duration of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), age and anamnestic features.
The structures of the olfactory system peripheral link (olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulbs) of 102 deceased with a history of anosmia or hyposmia in the acute and early post-acute periods of COVID-19 who died in 2020-2021 and had a clinical and/or pathological diagnosis of "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)", laboratory-confirmed (qualitative detection of RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by the PCR method), while at the preparatory stage, 7 deaths were excluded due to the presence of concomitant pathology, which could be the cause of the development of olfactory disorders , and the rest of the dead are divided by the periods of COVID-19 – acute and early post-acute. Thus, two main groups (95 deceased) and a control group were formed: group 1 (died in the acute period of COVID-19) - 71 deceased (average age - 68.7 (32; 91) years, women - 30 (42.25 %), men - 41 (57.75 %)), which was divided into four subgroups depending on the duration of the acute period (subgroup A - the first week of the acute period (8 deaths), subgroup B - the second week (23 deaths), subgroup B – third week (28 deaths), subgroup G – fourth week (12 deaths)); group 2 (died in the early post-acute period of COVID-19) – 24 deceased (average age – 64.54 (37; 84) years, women – 13 (54.17%), men – 11 (45.83%)); control group – 30 deceased (average age – 66.8 (42; 84) years, women – 13 (43.33%), men – 17 (56.67%)). Examined subgroups were comparable in terms of age and sex.
The novelty of the research and the obtained results. For the first time, the features of the state of olfactory receptor cells and sustentacular cells of the olfactory epithelium were determined, taking into account the expression of receptors TuJ-1, OMP, ACE-2, TMPRSS2, depending on the duration of the disease in the acute and early post-acute periods of COVID-19.
For the first time, the need to use the TuJ-1 marker simultaneously with the OMP marker in consecutive sections of the olfactory area of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity was determined to control the correctness of counting the number of olfactory receptor cells.
For the first time, the relationship between the number of OMP-, ACE-2-positive cells and TMPRSS2-positive cells of the olfactory epithelium, as well as the relationship between the number of ACE-2-positive cells and TMPRSS2-positive cells of the olfactory bulbs in the acute and early post-acute periods was established COVID-19.
For the first time, the features of the state of neurons of the olfactory bulbs were determined, taking into account the expression of receptors TuJ-1, ACE-2, TMPRSS2, depending on the duration of the disease in the acute and early post-acute periods of COVID-19.
For the first time, the significance of age and anamnestic features in the development of olfactory disorders in the acute and early post-acute periods of COVID-19 was proven.
For the first time, the significance of the preliminary restructuring of the olfactory epithelium in the development of olfactory disorders in the acute and early post-acute periods of COVID-19 was proven.
For the first time, an algorithm for immunohistochemical diagnosis of pathological changes in the structural elements of the peripheral link of the olfactory system (olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulbs) of patients with COVID-19 was developed, taking into account age and anamnestic features.
The theoretical and practical value of the work. An algorithm for immunohistochemical diagnosis of pathological changes in the structural elements of the peripheral link of the olfactory system (olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulbs) of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been developed, taking into account age and anamnestic features.
