• Yao-xin He, Zi-fen Gao, Min Lu, Guan-jie Sui, Guang-wei Ran, Bin Cao, Chen Wang, Jie Chen, and Xi-shun Zhao.
• Department of Pathology, Peking University School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
• Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao. 2010 Apr 18;42(2):137-9.

ObjectiveTo find histopathological changes on major organs of Influenza A H1N1-infected patients and its relationship to clinical symptoms.MethodsThe autopsies were performed following conventional protocols and strict safety procedures. Tissue samples from all major organs of three cases were collected and fixed in 4% formalin. The histopathological changes on these samples were observed under a light microscope.ResultsThe lungs of some damaged areas of three cases showed diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) with hyaline membranes formation and intra-alveolar edema and/or fibrin. Most areas of the lungs in the three cases showed necrotizing bronchiolitis, hemorrhage, secondary infection, thrombosis and focal alveolar necrosis. The lungs exhibited proliferation of pneumocytes and fibrosis of the interstitium in one case. In one case, the brain showed focal hemorrhage and focal liquefactive necrosis. In one case, the heart showed edema.ConclusionThe respiratory tract is the major target of influenza A H1N1 virus. The changes of DAD with secondary infection in the lung resulted in hypoxia, leading to multiple organ failure and death.

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