{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T13:22:05Z","timestamp":1787664125062,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785283200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785283200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["American J Rep Immunol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Problem<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Prolonged SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 viral persistence was reported in extrapulmonary tissues in patients infected with COVID\u201019. SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 can infect placental tissue. However, little is known about SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 viral persistence in the placenta.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method of Study<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This is a retrospective and IRB approved study. Placental tissue samples from 40 women infected with COVID\u201019 at various gestational age were analyzed. SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA expression was examined by in situ hybridization on placental disk and fetal membrane. S\u2010protein and N\u2010protein expression was determined by immunostaining. SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA sequencing was also performed in 12 out of the 29 cases in which SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA expression was detected positive by in situ hybridization.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA expression was detected in placental disk, predominantly localized in syncytiotrophoblasts in 29 out of the 40 cases, but not in fetal membrane. Among the 29 positive cases, 4 infected in the first trimester, 7 in the second trimester, and 18 in the third trimester or at term. The longest interval from infection to delivery was 221 days. Among the 21 women who tested positive for COVID\u201019 at L\/D admission, 18 (85.7%) detected SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA expression in placental tissue. Notably, 11 (57.9%) of 19 cases (negative test at L\/D admission) detected viral RNA expression in placental villous tissue. Viral RNA expression was also detected in villous core vessel endothelium in two COVID (+) newborn placentas, with corresponding positive S\u2010protein and N\u2010protein expression in syncytiotrophoblasts. S\u2010protein and N\u2010protein expression was undetectable in 27 out of the 29 cases with positive detection of SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA expression. Partial RNA\u2010dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region sequence was identified in all the 12 cases examined.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings provide compelling evidence that SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 genetic material can persist in placental tissue long after maternal infection, which may potentially contribute to a sustained inflammatory environment at the maternal\u2010fetal interface during pregnancy. The phenomenon of partial RdRp sequence detected would provide a possible explanation for undetectable S\u2010 and N\u2010protein expression in testing specimens.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/aji.70302","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T16:31:07Z","timestamp":1785342667000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Persistence of SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 RNA Residues in Placenta Tissue Following Maternal COVID\u201019 Infection During Pregnancy"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"96","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7348-1528","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yang","family":"Gu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center \u2010 Shreveport  Shreveport Louisiana 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Shreveport  Shreveport Louisiana USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6341-3465","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Krista","family":"Queen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology and Microbiology Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center \u2010 Shreveport  Shreveport Louisiana USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3840-9189","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rona S.","family":"Scott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Immunology and Microbiology Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center \u2010 Shreveport  Shreveport Louisiana USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dani","family":"Zoorob","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center \u2010 Shreveport  Shreveport 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