Thoughts on detecting tissue distribution of potential COVID-19 receptors

Abstract

Aim: As a novel coronavirus, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global epidemic. Many clinical data show that COVID-19 can not only cause viral pneumonia but also damage a variety of target organs. Materials & methods: We searched some open online datasets, such as Gene ORGANizer, the Human Protein Atlas and Pubmed, to explore the tissue distribution of potential COVID-19 receptors (ACE2, CD209, CLEC4M and BSG) in the human body. Results: The above potential COVID-19 receptors were highly expressed in the lungs, intestine, kidney, liver, heart, testis, placenta, hematopoietic tissue and nerve tissue. Conclusion: It is speculated that they may be potentially high-risk organs susceptible to COVID-19 infection. It is expectant to provide some help for further research in the future.