International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Pathophysiological Association of Endothelial Dysfunction with Fatal Outcome in COVID-19 Tatsuya Maruhashi 1 and Yukihito Higashi 1,2,* 1 Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan;
[email protected] 2 Division of Regeneration and Medicine, Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +81-82-257-5831 Abstract: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is now a worldwide challenge for healthcare systems. Although the leading cause of mortality in patients with COVID-19 is hypoxic respiratory failure due to viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, accumulating evidence has shown that the risk of thromboembolism is substantially high in patients with severe COVID-19 and that a thromboembolic event is another major complication contributing to the high morbidity and mortality in patients with COVID- 19. Endothelial dysfunction is emerging as one of the main contributors to the pathogenesis of thromboembolic events in COVID-19. Endothelial dysfunction is usually referred to as reduced nitric oxide bioavailability. However, failures of the endothelium to control coagulation, inflammation, or permeability are also instances of endothelial dysfunction. Recent studies have indicated the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect endothelial cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 pathway and that endothelial dysfunction caused by direct virus infection of endothelial Citation: Maruhashi, T.; Higashi, Y. cells may contribute to thrombotic complications and severe disease outcomes in patients with Pathophysiological Association of COVID-19.