Megakaryocytes in pulmonary diseases

Research progress of megakaryocytes and platelets in lung injury

“…Megakaryocytes in the lung not only have thrombopoietic function, but also express a series of genes related to pathogen recognition, inflammatory response, and innate immune response such as chemokines and inflammatory factors, which are involved in the protection or progression of ALI. Megakaryocytes also express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, antigen presenting cell (APC) markers, dendritic cell markers, including CD11c, CD40, CD80, ICAM-1, and CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR) [ 32 ]. Compared with megakaryocytes in the bone marrow, lung megakaryocytes express higher levels of TLR and CLEC and have the ability to sense as well as ingest pathogens, such as phagocytosis or uptake of the virus SARS-CoV-2 in vivo , which have been shown as as protection against ALI resulting from infection [ 33 ].…”

Clinical, laboratory and immunohistochemical characterization of in situ pulmonary arterial thrombosis in fatal COVID-19

“…The pathological examination of pulmonary vasculature in COVID-19 patients showed diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) with concurrent thrombi formation, even in the microcirculation [12] . Some autopsy studies reported the combined presence of megakaryocytes and thrombi in the lung of COVID-19 patients [22] , [23] , however, the implication of megakaryocytes in COVID-19 pulmonary coagulopathy and even in other pulmonary diseases is still debated [24] .…”