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Kebriaei A, Besharati R, Namdar Ahmad Abad H, Havakhah S, Khosrojerdi M, Azimian A. The relationship between microRNAs and COVID-19 complications. Noncoding RNA Res 2025; 10:16-24. [PMID: 39296641 PMCID: PMC11406673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2024.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past three years, since the onset of COVID-19, several scientific studies have concentrated on understanding susceptibility to the virus, the progression of the illness, and possible long-term complexity. COVID-19 is broadly recognized with effects on multiple systems in the body, and various factors related to society, medicine, and genetics/epigenetics may contribute to the intensity and results of the disease. Additionally, a SARS-CoV-2 infection can activate pathological activities and expedite the emergence of existing health issues into clinical problems. Forming easily accessible, distinctive, and permeable biomarkers is essential for categorizing patients, preventing the disease, predicting its course, and tailoring treatments for COVID-19 individually. One promising candidate for such biomarkers is microRNAs, which could serve various purposes in understanding diverse forms of COVID-19, including susceptibility, intensity, disease progression, outcomes, and potential therapeutic options. This review provides an overview of the most significant findings related to the involvement of microRNAs in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Furthermore, it explores the function of microRNAs in a broad span of effects that may arise from accompanying or underlying health status. It underscores the value of comprehending how diverse conditions, such as neurological disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity, interact with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdollah Kebriaei
- Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Reza Besharati
- Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Hasan Namdar Ahmad Abad
- Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Shahrzad Havakhah
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Mahsa Khosrojerdi
- Department of Immunology and Allergy, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Azimian
- Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
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Aboulela A, Taha M, Ghazal A, Baess A, Elsheredy A. Alternations in miR-155 and miR-200 serum levels can serve as biomarkers for COVID-19 in the post-mass vaccination era. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:689. [PMID: 38796651 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09630-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mass vaccination and natural immunity reduced the severity of COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2 ongoing genome variations imply the use of confirmatory serologic biomarkers besides PCR for reliable diagnosis. MicroRNA molecules are intrinsic components of the innate immune system. The expression of miR155-5p and miR200c-3p was previously correlated with SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. This case-control study was conducted during the third peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt and aimed to calculate the accuracy of miR155-5p and miR200c-3p as biomarkers for COVID-19. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty out of 400 COVID-19 patients at a main University hospital in Alexandria were included in the study along with 20 age-matched healthy controls. Plasma samples were collected for total and differential CBC. Relative quantitation of miR155-5p and miR200c-3p expression from WBCs was done by RT-qPCR. The expression of miR155-5p and miR200c-3p was positively correlated and was significantly downregulated in COVID-19 patients compared to the healthy control group (p ˂ 0.005). Both miR155-5p and miR200c-3p were of 76% and 74% accuracy as diagnostic biomarkers of COVID-19, respectively. Regarding the differentiation between mild and moderate cases, their accuracy was 80% and 70%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS miR155-5p and miR200c-3p expression can be used to confirm the diagnosis of COVID-19 and discriminate between mild and moderate cases, with a moderate degree of accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliaa Aboulela
- Medical Research Institute, Microbiology Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Mona Taha
- Medical Research Institute, Microbiology Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Abeer Ghazal
- Medical Research Institute, Microbiology Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Ayman Baess
- Faculty of Medicine, Chest Diseases Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Amel Elsheredy
- Medical Research Institute, Microbiology Department, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
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Bougea A, Georgakopoulou VE, Lempesis IG, Fotakopoulos G, Papalexis P, Sklapani P, Trakas N, Spandidos DA, Angelopoulou E. Role of microRNAs in cognitive decline related to COVID‑19 (Review). Exp Ther Med 2024; 27:139. [PMID: 38476899 PMCID: PMC10928821 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2024.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The likelihood and severity of cognitive decline related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been shown to be reflected by the severity of the infection and concomitant alterations in specific biomarkers. The present review discusses the role of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) as biomarkers in COVID-19 and the potential molecular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction related to COVID-19. A systematic search of published articles was carried out from January 31, 2000 to December 31, 2022 using the PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases, combining the following terms: 'COVID-19' OR 'SARS-CoV-2' OR 'post-COVID-19 effects' OR 'cognitive decline' OR 'neurodegeneration' OR 'microRNAs'. The quality of the evidence was evaluated as high, moderate, low, or very low based on the GRADE rating. A total of 36 studies were identified which demonstrated reduced blood levels of miR-146a, miR-155, Let-7b, miR 31 and miR-21 in patients with COVID-19 in comparison with a healthy group. The overexpression of the Let-7b may result in the downregulation of BCL-2 during COVID-9 by adjusting the immune responses between chronic inflammatory disease, type 2 diabetes, COVID-19 and cognitive impairment. The reduced expression of miR-31 is associated with cognitive dysfunction and increased microcoagulability in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). miR-155 mediates synaptic dysfunction and the dysregulation of neurotransmitters due to acute inflammation, leading to brain atrophy and a subcortical cognitive profile. The downregulation of miR-21 in patients with COVID-19 aggravates systemic inflammation, mediating an uncontrollable immune response and the failure of T-cell function, provoking cognitive impairment in patients with SARS-CoV-2. On the whole, the present review indicates that dysregulated levels of miR-146a, miR-155, Let-7b, miR-31, and miR-21 in the blood of individuals with COVID-19 are associated with cognitive decline, the chronic activation of immune mechanisms, the cytokine storm, and the vicious cycle of damage and systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Bougea
- 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Ioannis G. Lempesis
- Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George Fotakopoulos
- Department of Neurosurgery, General University Hospital of Larissa, 41221 Larissa, Greece
| | - Petros Papalexis
- Unit of Endocrinology, First Department of Internal Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Pagona Sklapani
- Department of Biochemistry, Sismanogleio Hospital, 15126 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Trakas
- Department of Biochemistry, Sismanogleio Hospital, 15126 Athens, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Efthalia Angelopoulou
- 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
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Jankovic M, Nikolic D, Novakovic I, Petrovic B, Lackovic M, Santric-Milicevic M. miRNAs as a Potential Biomarker in the COVID-19 Infection and Complications Course, Severity, and Outcome. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:1091. [PMID: 36980399 PMCID: PMC10047241 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13061091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
During the last three years, since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of scientific publications have focused on resolving susceptibility to the infection, as well as the course of the disease and potential long-term complications. COVID-19 is widely considered as a multisystem disease and a variety of socioeconomic, medical, and genetic/epigenetic factors may contribute to the disease severity and outcome. Furthermore, the SARS-COV-2 infection may trigger pathological processes and accelerate underlying conditions to clinical entities. The development of specific and sensitive biomarkers that are easy to obtain will allow for patient stratification, prevention, prognosis, and more individualized treatments for COVID-19. miRNAs are proposed as promising biomarkers for different aspects of COVID-19 disease (susceptibility, severity, complication course, outcome, and therapeutic possibilities). This review summarizes the most relevant findings concerning miRNA involvement in COVID-19 pathology. Additionally, the role of miRNAs in wide range of complications due to accompanied and/or underlying health conditions is discussed. The importance of understanding the functional relationships between different conditions, such as pregnancy, obesity, or neurological diseases, with COVID-19 is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Jankovic
- Neurology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dejan Nikolic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Children's Hospital, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Novakovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Bojana Petrovic
- Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milan Lackovic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital "Dragisa Misovic", 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milena Santric-Milicevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Management, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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Liang Y, Fang D, Gao X, Deng X, Chen N, Wu J, Zeng M, Luo M. Circulating microRNAs as emerging regulators of COVID-19. Theranostics 2023; 13:125-147. [PMID: 36593971 PMCID: PMC9800721 DOI: 10.7150/thno.78164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global pandemic that has high incidence rates, spreads rapidly, and has caused more than 6.5 million deaths globally to date. Currently, several drugs have been used in the clinical treatment of COVID-19, including antivirals (e.g., molnupiravir, baricitinib, and remdesivir), monoclonal antibodies (e.g., etesevimab and tocilizumab), protease inhibitors (e.g., paxlovid), and glucocorticoids (e.g., dexamethasone). Increasing evidence suggests that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of viral infection and antiviral immune responses, including the biological processes involved in regulating COVID-19 infection and subsequent complications. During viral infection, both viral genes and host cytokines regulate transcriptional and posttranscriptional steps affecting viral replication. Virus-encoded miRNAs are a component of the immune evasion repertoire and function by directly targeting immune functions. Moreover, several host circulating miRNAs can contribute to viral immune escape and play an antiviral role by not only promoting nonstructural protein (nsp) 10 expression in SARS coronavirus, but among others inhibiting NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing (NLRP) 3 and IL-1β transcription. Consequently, understanding the expression and mechanism of action of circulating miRNAs during SARS-CoV-2 infection will provide unexpected insights into circulating miRNA-based studies. In this review, we examined the recent progress of circulating miRNAs in the regulation of severe inflammatory response, immune dysfunction, and thrombosis caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, discussed the mechanisms of action, and highlighted the therapeutic challenges involving miRNA and future research directions in the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Dan Fang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaojun Gao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Ni Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jianbo Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Laboratory for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Min Zeng
- Department of Pharmacy, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Mao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- Laboratory for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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Upregulation of miRNA-200c during Disease Progression in COVID-19 Patients. J Clin Med 2022; 12:jcm12010283. [PMID: 36615083 PMCID: PMC9821078 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12010283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 6 million deaths worldwide since its first outbreak in December 2019 and continues to be a major health problem. Several studies have established that the infection by SARS-CoV-2 can be categorized in a viremic, acute and recovery or severe phase. Hyperinflammation during the acute pneumonia phase is a major cause of severe disease progression and death. Treatment of COVID-19 with directly acting antivirals is limited within a narrow window of time between first clinical symptoms and the hyperinflammatory response. Therefore, early initiation of treatment is crucial to assure optimal health care for patients. Molecular diagnostic biomarkers represent a potent tool to predict the course of disease and thus to assess the optimal treatment regimen and time point. Here, we investigated miRNA-200c as a potential marker for the prediction of the severity of COVID-19 to preventively initiate and personalize therapeutic interventions in the future. We found that miRNA-200c correlates with the severity of disease. With retrospective analysis, however, there is no correlation with prognosis at the time of hospitalization. Our study provides the basis for further evaluation of miRNA-200c as a predictive biomarker for the progress of COVID-19.
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Martínez-Colón GJ, Ratnasiri K, Chen H, Jiang S, Zanley E, Rustagi A, Verma R, Chen H, Andrews JR, Mertz KD, Tzankov A, Azagury D, Boyd J, Nolan GP, Schürch CM, Matter MS, Blish CA, McLaughlin TL. SARS-CoV-2 infection drives an inflammatory response in human adipose tissue through infection of adipocytes and macrophages. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabm9151. [PMID: 36137009 PMCID: PMC9529056 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm9151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Obesity, characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation of the adipose tissue, is associated with adverse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes, yet the underlying mechanism is unknown. To explore whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection of adipose tissue contributes to pathogenesis, we evaluated COVID-19 autopsy cases and deeply profiled the response of adipose tissue to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. In COVID-19 autopsy cases, we identified SARS-CoV-2 RNA in adipocytes with an associated inflammatory infiltrate. We identified two distinct cellular targets of infection: adipocytes and a subset of inflammatory adipose tissue-resident macrophages. Mature adipocytes were permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection; although macrophages were abortively infected, SARS-CoV-2 initiated inflammatory responses within both the infected macrophages and bystander preadipocytes. These data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection of adipose tissue could contribute to COVID-19 severity through replication of virus within adipocytes and through induction of local and systemic inflammation driven by infection of adipose tissue-resident macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kalani Ratnasiri
- Program in Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Heping Chen
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sizun Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Elizabeth Zanley
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Arjun Rustagi
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Renu Verma
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Han Chen
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jason R. Andrews
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kirsten D. Mertz
- Institute of Pathology, Cantonal Hospital Baselland, 4410, Liestal, Switzerland
| | - Alexandar Tzankov
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dan Azagury
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jack Boyd
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Garry P. Nolan
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Christian M. Schürch
- Department of Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital and Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen, 72070, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias S. Matter
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine A. Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Program in Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Tracey L. McLaughlin
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Periwal N, Bhardwaj U, Sarma S, Arora P, Sood V. In silico analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes: Insights from SARS encoded non-coding RNAs. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:966870. [PMID: 36519126 PMCID: PMC9742375 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.966870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 has resulted in enormous deaths around the world. Clues from genomic sequences of parent and their mutants can be obtained to understand the evolving pathogenesis of this virus. Apart from the viral proteins, virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a vital role in regulating viral pathogenesis. Thus we sought to investigate the miRNAs encoded by SARS-CoV-2, its mutants, and the host. Here, we present the results obtained using a dual approach i.e (i) identifying host-encoded miRNAs that might regulate viral pathogenesis and (ii) identifying viral-encoded miRNAs that might regulate host cell signaling pathways and aid in viral pathogenesis. Analysis utilizing the first approach resulted in the identification of ten host-encoded miRNAs that could target the SARS, SARS-CoV-2, and its mutants. Interestingly our analysis revealed that there is a significantly higher number of host miRNAs that could target the SARS-CoV-2 genome as compared to the SARS reference genome. Results from the second approach resulted in the identification of a set of virus-encoded miRNAs which might regulate host signaling pathways. Our analysis further identified a similar "GA" rich motif in the SARS-CoV-2 and its mutant genomes that was shown to play a vital role in lung pathogenesis during severe SARS infections. In summary, we have identified human and virus-encoded miRNAs that might regulate the pathogenesis of SARS coronaviruses and describe similar non-coding RNA sequences in SARS-CoV-2 that were shown to regulate SARS-induced lung pathology in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Periwal
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Sankritya Sarma
- Department of Zoology, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Pooja Arora
- Department of Zoology, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Vikas Sood
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India,*Correspondence: Vikas Sood,
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Alvarez M, Trent E, Goncalves BDS, Pereira DG, Puri R, Frazier NA, Sodhi K, Pillai SS. Cognitive dysfunction associated with COVID-19: Prognostic role of circulating biomarkers and microRNAs. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1020092. [PMID: 36268187 PMCID: PMC9577202 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1020092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is renowned as a multi-organ disease having subacute and long-term effects with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. The evolving scientific and clinical evidence demonstrates that the frequency of cognitive impairment after COVID-19 is high and it is crucial to explore more clinical research and implement proper diagnostic and treatment strategies. Several central nervous system complications have been reported as comorbidities of COVID-19. The changes in cognitive function associated with neurodegenerative diseases develop slowly over time and are only diagnosed at an already advanced stage of molecular pathology. Hence, understanding the common links between COVID-19 and neurodegenerative diseases will broaden our knowledge and help in strategizing prognostic and therapeutic approaches. The present review focuses on the diverse neurodegenerative changes associated with COVID-19 and will highlight the importance of major circulating biomarkers and microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with the disease progression and severity. The literature analysis showed that major proteins associated with central nervous system function, such as Glial fibrillary acidic protein, neurofilament light chain, p-tau 181, Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1, S100 calcium-binding protein B, Neuron-specific enolase and various inflammatory cytokines, were significantly altered in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, among various miRNAs that are having pivotal roles in various neurodegenerative diseases, miR-146a, miR-155, Let-7b, miR-31, miR-16 and miR-21 have shown significant dysregulation in COVID-19 patients. Thus the review consolidates the important findings from the numerous studies to unravel the underlying mechanism of neurological sequelae in COVID-19 and the possible association of circulatory biomarkers, which may serve as prognostic predictors and therapeutic targets in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sneha S. Pillai
- Department of Surgery, Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, United States
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MicroRNAs as Potential Tools for Predicting Cancer Patients’ Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination Response. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152279. [PMID: 35892576 PMCID: PMC9332853 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that is caused by a highly contagious and severe acute respiratory syndrome—coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This infection started to spread across the world in 2019 and rapidly turned into a global pandemic, causing an urgent necessity for treatment strategies development. The mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 can trigger an immune response, providing genetic information that allows the production of spike glycoproteins. MiRNAs play a crucial role in diverse key cellular processes, including antiviral defense. Several miRNAs are described as key factors in SARS-CoV-2 human infection through the regulation of ACE2 levels and by the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication and spike expression. Consequently, these molecules have been considered as highly promising biomarkers. In numerous human malignancies, it has been recognized that miRNAs expression is dysregulated. Since miRNAs can target SARS-CoV-2-associated mRNAs, in cancer patients, the deregulation of these molecules can impair the immune response to the vaccines. Therefore, in this review, we propose a miRNA profile of seven SARS-CoV-2-related miRNAs, namely miR-214, miR-98-5p, miR-7-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-223-3p and miR-15b-5p, that are deregulated in a high number of cancers and have the potential to be used as prognostic biomarkers to stratify cancer patients.
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Amino acid sensor GCN2 promotes SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 expression in response to amino acid deprivation. Commun Biol 2022; 5:651. [PMID: 35778545 PMCID: PMC9249868 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03609-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as a primary receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we investigated the expression regulation of ACE2 in enterocytes under amino acid deprivation conditions. In this study, we found that ACE2 expression was upregulated upon all or single essential amino acid deprivation in human colonic epithelial CCD841 cells. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of general control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) reduced intestinal ACE2 mRNA and protein levels in vitro and in vivo. Consistently, we revealed two GCN2 inhibitors, GCN2iB and GCN2-IN-1, downregulated ACE2 protein expression in CCD841 cells. Moreover, we found that increased ACE2 expression in response to leucine deprivation was GCN2 dependent. Through RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified two transcription factors, MAFB and MAFF, positively regulated ACE2 expression under leucine deprivation in CCD841 cells. These findings demonstrate that amino acid deficiency increases ACE2 expression and thereby likely aggravates intestinal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Amino acid deprivation increases ACE2 expression in the gut, potentially aggravating SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Sarzani R, Allevi M, Giulietti F, Di Pentima C, Re S, Giordano P, Spannella F. The Identikit of Patient at Risk for Severe COVID-19 and Death: The Dysregulation of Renin-Angiotensin System as the Common Theme. J Clin Med 2021; 10:5883. [PMID: 34945176 PMCID: PMC8704645 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10245883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the first months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several specific physiologic traits, such as male sex and older age, or health conditions, such as overweight/obesity, arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, have been found to be highly prevalent and associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients. All these cardiovascular morbidities are widespread in the population and often coexist, thus identifying a common patient phenotype, characterized by a hyper-activation of the "classic" renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and mediated by the binding of angiotensin II (Ang II) to the type 1-receptor. At the same time, the RAS imbalance was proved to be crucial in the genesis of lung injury after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, where angiotensin-converting-enzyme-2 (ACE2) is not only the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, but its down-regulation through internalization and shedding, caused by the virus binding, leads to a further dysregulation of RAS by reducing angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) production. This focused narrative review will discuss the main available evidence on the role played by cardiovascular and metabolic conditions in severe COVID-19, providing a possible pathophysiological link based on the disequilibrium between the two opposite arms of RAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Sarzani
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, University “Politecnica delle Marche”, Via Tronto 10/a, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Allevi
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, University “Politecnica delle Marche”, Via Tronto 10/a, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Federico Giulietti
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, University “Politecnica delle Marche”, Via Tronto 10/a, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Chiara Di Pentima
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, University “Politecnica delle Marche”, Via Tronto 10/a, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Serena Re
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, University “Politecnica delle Marche”, Via Tronto 10/a, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Piero Giordano
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
| | - Francesco Spannella
- Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, IRCCS INRCA, Via della Montagnola 81, 60127 Ancona, Italy; (M.A.); (F.G.); (C.D.P.); (S.R.); (P.G.); (F.S.)
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, University “Politecnica delle Marche”, Via Tronto 10/a, 60126 Ancona, Italy
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