{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: RT-qPCR investigation of post-mortem tissues during COVID-19.
{Author}: Berdygulova Z;Maltseva E;Perfilyeva Y;Nizkorodova A;Zhigailov A;Naizabayeva D;Ostapchuk YO;Kuatbekova S;Dosmagambet Z;Kuatbek M;Bissenbay A;Cherusheva A;Mashzhan A;Abdolla N;Ashimbekov S;Ismagulova G;Dmitrovskiy A;Mamadaliyev S;Skiba Y;
{Journal}: J Appl Biomed
{Volume}: 22
{Issue}: 2
{Year}: 2024 Jun
{Factor}: 0.5
{DOI}: 10.32725/jab.2024.013
{Abstract}: In 2020, there were numerous cases in Kazakhstan with clinical symptoms of COVID-19 but negative PCR results in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. The diagnosis was confirmed clinically and by CT scans (computed tomography). The problem with such negative PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmation still exists and indicates the need to confirm the diagnosis in the bronchoalveolar lavage in such cases. There is also a lack of information about confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection in deceased patients. In this study, various tissue materials, including lungs, bronchi, and trachea, were examined from eight patients who died, presumably from SARS-CoV-2 infection, between 2020 and 2022. Naso/oropharyngeal swabs taken from these patients in hospitals tested PCR negative for SARS-CoV-2. This study presents a modified RNA isolation method based on a comparison of the most used methods for RNA isolation in laboratories: QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit and TRIzol-based method. This modified nucleic acid extraction protocol can be used to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-qPCR in the tissues of deceased patients in disputed cases. RT-qPCR with RNA of SARS-CoV-2 re-extracted with such method from post-mortem tissues that were stored at -80 °C for more than 32 months still demonstrated high-yielding positive results.