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Fracella M, Mancino E, Nenna R, Virgillito C, Frasca F, D'Auria A, Sorrentino L, Petrarca L, La Regina D, Matera L, Di Mattia G, Caputo B, Antonelli G, Pierangeli A, Viscidi RP, Midulla F, Scagnolari C. Age-related transcript changes in type I interferon signaling in children and adolescents with long COVID. Eur J Immunol 2024; 54:e2350682. [PMID: 38522030 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 typically causes mild symptoms in children, but evidence suggests that persistent immunopathological changes may lead to long COVID (LC). To explore the interplay between LC and innate immunity, we assessed the type I interferon (IFN-I) response in children and adolescents with LC symptoms (LC; n = 28). This was compared with age-matched SARS-CoV-2 recovered participants without LC symptoms (MC; n = 28) and healthy controls (HC; n = 18). We measured the mRNA expression of IFN-I (IFN-α/β/ε/ω), IFN-I receptor (IFNAR1/2), and ISGs (ISG15, ISG56, MxA, IFI27, BST2, LY6E, OAS1, OAS2, OAS3, and MDA5) in PBMCs collected 3-6 months after COVID-19. LC adolescents (12-17 years) had higher transcript levels of IFN-β, IFN-ε, and IFN-ω than HC, whereas LC children (6-11 years) had lower levels than HC. In adolescents, increased levels of IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-ω mRNAs were found in the LC group compared with MC, while lower levels were observed in LC children than MC. Adolescents with neurological symptoms had higher IFN-α/β mRNA levels than MC. LC and MC participants showed decreased expression of ISGs and IFNAR1, but increased expression of IFNAR2, than HC. Our results show age-related changes in the expression of transcripts involved in the IFN-I signaling pathway in children and adolescents with LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Fracella
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrica Mancino
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Nenna
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Virgillito
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Frasca
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra D'Auria
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Leonardo Sorrentino
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrarca
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico La Regina
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Matera
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Greta Di Mattia
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Beniamino Caputo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Antonelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pierangeli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Raphael P Viscidi
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Fabio Midulla
- Department of Pediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carolina Scagnolari
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Przybylowicz PK, Sokolowska KE, Rola H, Wojdacz TK. DNA Methylation Changes in Blood Cells of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients. J Pain Res 2023; 16:4025-4036. [PMID: 38054109 PMCID: PMC10695140 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s439412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) affect 0.4% and 1% of society, respectively, and the prevalence of these pain syndromes is increasing. To date, no strong association between these syndromes and the genetic background of affected individuals has been shown. Therefore, it is plausible that epigenetic changes might play a role in the development of these syndromes. Patients and Methods Three previous studies have attempted to elaborate the involvement of genome-wide methylation changes in blood cells in the development of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. These studies included 22 patients with fibromyalgia and 127 patients with CFS, and the results of the studies were largely discrepant. Contradicting results of those studies may be attributed to differences in the omics data analysis approaches used in each study. We reanalyzed the data collected in these studies using an updated and coherent data-analysis framework. Results Overall, the methylation changes that we observed overlapped with previous results only to some extent. However, the gene set enrichment analyses based on genes annotated to methylation changes identified in each of the analyzed datasets were surprisingly coherent and uniformly associated with the physiological processes that, when affected, may result in symptoms characteristic of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Conclusion Methylomes of the blood cells of patients with FM and CFS in three independent studies have shown methylation changes that appear to be implicated in the pathogenesis of these syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hubert Rola
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
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Machaj F, Sokolowska KE, Borowski K, Retfiński S, Strapagiel D, Sobalska-Kwapis M, Huzarski T, Lubiński J, Wojdacz TK. Analytical sensitivity of a method is critical in detection of low-level BRCA1 constitutional epimutation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16102. [PMID: 37752189 PMCID: PMC10522570 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43276-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent reports based on a substantial number of cases, warrant need for population-based research to determine implications of constitutional methylation of tumor suppressor genes such as BRCA1 occurring in healthy tissue in the prediction of cancer. However, the detection of the constitutional methylation in DNA extracted from blood has already been shown to be technologically challenging, mainly because epimutations appear to be present in blood at a very low level. The analytical sensitivity required for low-level methylation detection can be provided by NGS, but this technique is still labor and cost-intensive. We assessed if PCR-based MS-HRM and BeadChip microarray technologies, which are standardized and cost-effective technologies for methylation changes screening, provide a sufficient level of analytical sensitivity for constitutional BRCA1 methylation detection in blood samples. The study included whole blood samples from 67 healthy women, 35 with previously confirmed and 32 with no detectable BRCA1 promoter methylation for which we performed both MS-HRM based BRCA1 gene methylation screening and genome wide methylation profiling with EPIC microarray. Our results shown, that low-level BRCA1 methylation can be effectively detected in DNA extracted from blood by PCR-based MS-HRM. At the same time, EPIC microarray does not provide conclusive results to unambiguously determine the presence of BRCA1 constitutional methylation in MS-HRM epimutation positive samples. The analytical sensitivity of MS-HRM is sufficient to detect low level BRCA1 constitutional epimutation in DNA extracted from blood and BeadChip technology-based microarrays appear not to provide that level of analytical sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Machaj
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ewa Sokolowska
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Konrad Borowski
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Szymon Retfiński
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dominik Strapagiel
- Biobank Laboratory, Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 139, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marta Sobalska-Kwapis
- Biobank Laboratory, Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 139, 90-237, Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Huzarski
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jan Lubiński
- Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Kazimierz Wojdacz
- Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252, Szczecin, Poland.
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Toro A, Lage-Vickers S, Bizzotto J, Vilicich F, Sabater A, Pascual G, Ledesma-Bazan S, Sanchis P, Ruiz MS, Arevalo AP, Porfido JL, Abbate M, Seniuk R, Labanca E, Anselmino N, Navone NM, Alonso DF, Vazquez E, Crispo M, Cotignola J, Gueron G. Pin-Pointing the Key Hubs in the IFN-γ Pathway Responding to SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102180. [PMID: 36298734 PMCID: PMC9610092 DOI: 10.3390/v14102180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) may be potential adjuvant immunotherapy for COVID-19 patients. In this work, we assessed gene expression profiles associated with the IFN-γ pathway in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Employing a case-control study from SARS-CoV-2-positive and -negative patients, we identified IFN-γ-associated pathways to be enriched in positive patients. Bioinformatics analyses showed upregulation of MAP2K6, CBL, RUNX3, STAT1, and JAK2 in COVID-19-positive vs. -negative patients. A positive correlation was observed between STAT1/JAK2, which varied alongside the patient’s viral load. Expression of MX1, MX2, ISG15, and OAS1 (four well-known IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs)) displayed upregulation in COVID-19-positive vs. -negative patients. Integrative analyses showcased higher levels of ISGs, which were associated with increased viral load and STAT1/JAK2 expression. Confirmation of ISGs up-regulation was performed in vitro using the A549 lung cell line treated with Poly (I:C), a synthetic analog of viral double-stranded RNA; and in different pulmonary human cell lines and ferret tracheal biopsies infected with SARS-CoV-2. A pre-clinical murine model of Coronavirus infection confirmed findings displaying increased ISGs in the liver and lungs from infected mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate the role of IFN-γ and ISGs in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting alternative druggable targets that can boost the host response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelen Toro
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Correspondence: (A.T.); (S.L.-V.); (G.G.); Tel.: +54-9114-408-7796 (G.G.); Fax: +54-9114-788-5755 (G.G.)
| | - Sofia Lage-Vickers
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Correspondence: (A.T.); (S.L.-V.); (G.G.); Tel.: +54-9114-408-7796 (G.G.); Fax: +54-9114-788-5755 (G.G.)
| | - Juan Bizzotto
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Tecnología (INTEC), Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), Buenos Aires C1073AAO, Argentina
| | - Felipe Vilicich
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Agustina Sabater
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Tecnología (INTEC), Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), Buenos Aires C1073AAO, Argentina
| | - Gaston Pascual
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Sabrina Ledesma-Bazan
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Pablo Sanchis
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Maria Sol Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Ana Paula Arevalo
- Laboratory Animals Biotechnology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Jorge L. Porfido
- Laboratory Animals Biotechnology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Mercedes Abbate
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Rocio Seniuk
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Estefania Labanca
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and The David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nicolas Anselmino
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and The David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nora M. Navone
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and The David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniel F. Alonso
- Centro de Oncología Molecular y Traslacional y Plataforma de Servicios Biotecnológicos, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Elba Vazquez
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Martina Crispo
- Laboratory Animals Biotechnology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Javier Cotignola
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Geraldine Gueron
- Laboratorio de Inflamación y Cáncer, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), CONICET—Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
- Correspondence: (A.T.); (S.L.-V.); (G.G.); Tel.: +54-9114-408-7796 (G.G.); Fax: +54-9114-788-5755 (G.G.)
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