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Yamamoto I, Michishita M, Fujita K, Sakai T, Sasaki N, Kawasumi K. Molecular characterization of GPR84 in domestic cats. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 353:114520. [PMID: 38641150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2024.114520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84) was cloned as an orphan receptor, and medium-chain fatty acids were then revealed as endogenous ligands. GPR84 is expressed in immune cells and is believed to protect liver function from lipotoxicity caused by overeating and high-fat diet intake. This study aimed to present the molecular characterization of GPR84 in domestic cats. The deduced amino acid sequence of the feline GPR84 shows high sequence homology (83-89 %) with the orthologues from other mammalians by cDNA cloning of feline GPR84. Remarkably high mRNA expression was observed in the bone marrow by Q-PCR analysis. The inhibition of intracellular cAMP concentration was observed in cells transfected with feline GPR84 and treated with medium-chain fatty acids. Immunostaining of GPR84 and free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2)/GPR43 in the bone marrow, where high mRNA expression was observed, showed reactions in macrophages and myeloid cells. To clarify whether the receptor formed homo/hetero-merization, GPR84 and FFARs were analyzed using Nano-Luc binary technology and NanoLuc bioluminescence resonance energy transfer technologies, which revealed that GPR84 formed more heteromers with FFAR2 than homomers with each other. In addition, when GPR84 and FFAR2/GPR43 were cotransfected in the cell, their localization on the cell membrane was reduced compared with that when single receptors were transfected. These results indicated that GPR84 is a functional receptor protein that is expressed in cat tissues and may have a protein-protein interaction with FFAR2/GPR43 on the cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Yamamoto
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan.
| | - Masaki Michishita
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
| | - Koki Fujita
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
| | - Tamami Sakai
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
| | - Noriyasu Sasaki
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
| | - Koh Kawasumi
- Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashino, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan
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2
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Armignacco R, Carlier N, Jouinot A, Birtolo MF, de Murat D, Tubach F, Hausfater P, Simon T, Gorochov G, Pourcher V, Beurton A, Goulet H, Manivet P, Bertherat J, Assié G. Whole blood transcriptome signature predicts severe forms of COVID-19: Results from the COVIDeF cohort study. Funct Integr Genomics 2024; 24:107. [PMID: 38772950 PMCID: PMC11108918 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-024-01359-2] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
COVID-19 is associated with heterogeneous outcome. Early identification of a severe progression of the disease is essential to properly manage the patients and improve their outcome. Biomarkers reflecting an increased inflammatory response, as well as individual features including advanced age, male gender, and pre-existing comorbidities, are risk factors of severe COVID-19. Yet, these features show limited accuracy for outcome prediction. The aim was to evaluate the prognostic value of whole blood transcriptome at an early stage of the disease. Blood transcriptome of patients with mild pneumonia was profiled. Patients with subsequent severe COVID-19 were compared to those with favourable outcome, and a molecular predictor based on gene expression was built. Unsupervised classification discriminated patients who would later develop a COVID-19-related severe pneumonia. The corresponding gene expression signature reflected the immune response to the viral infection dominated by a prominent type I interferon, with IFI27 among the most over-expressed genes. A 48-genes transcriptome signature predicting the risk of severe COVID-19 was built on a training cohort, then validated on an external independent cohort, showing an accuracy of 81% for predicting severe outcome. These results identify an early transcriptome signature of severe COVID-19 pneumonia, with a possible relevance to improve COVID-19 patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Armignacco
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8104, INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France.
| | - Nicolas Carlier
- Service de Pneumologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Cochin, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Anne Jouinot
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8104, INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France
- Service d'Endocrinologie, Center for Rare Adrenal Diseases, AP-HP, Hôpital Cochin, 75014, Paris, France
| | | | - Daniel de Murat
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8104, INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Florence Tubach
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie Et de Santé Publique, AP-HP, 1901, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Hausfater
- Emergency Department, APHP-Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, GRC-14 BIOSFAST, CIMI, UMR 1135, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Tabassome Simon
- Service de Pharmacologie, Plateforme de Recherche Clinique URC-CRC-CRB de L'Est Parisien, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Guy Gorochov
- Centre d'Immunologie Et Des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI), Department of Immunology, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Groupe Hospitalo-Universitaire Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Pourcher
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Groupe Hospitalo-Universitaire Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Beurton
- Service de Médecine Intensive Réanimation EOLE - Département R3S - Sorbonne, Université - Hôpital Universitaire Pitié - Salpêtrière - Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris - 83 Boulevard de L'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- UMRS 1158 Inserm-Sorbonne Université "Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale Et Clinique'' Intensive Care Unit, Hôpital Tenon, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Hélène Goulet
- Emergency Department, Hôpital Tenon, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Manivet
- INSERM UMR 1141 "NeuroDiderot", Université Paris Cité, FHU I2-D2, Paris, France
- AP-HP, DMU BioGem, Centre de Ressources Biologiques Biobank Lariboisière/Saint Louis (BB-0033-00064), Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Bertherat
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8104, INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France
- Service d'Endocrinologie, Center for Rare Adrenal Diseases, AP-HP, Hôpital Cochin, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Assié
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR8104, INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France.
- Service d'Endocrinologie, Center for Rare Adrenal Diseases, AP-HP, Hôpital Cochin, 75014, Paris, France.
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Oliveira TT, Freitas JF, de Medeiros VPB, Xavier TJDS, Agnez-Lima LF. Integrated analysis of RNA-seq datasets reveals novel targets and regulators of COVID-19 severity. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302358. [PMID: 38262689 PMCID: PMC10806258 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, RNA-seq datasets were produced to investigate the virus-host relationship. However, much of these data remains underexplored. To improve the search for molecular targets and biomarkers, we performed an integrated analysis of multiple RNA-seq datasets, expanding the cohort and including patients from different countries, encompassing severe and mild COVID-19 patients. Our analysis revealed that severe COVID-19 patients exhibit overexpression of genes coding for proteins of extracellular exosomes, endomembrane system, and neutrophil granules (e.g., S100A9, LY96, and RAB1B), which may play an essential role in the cellular response to infection. Concurrently, these patients exhibit down-regulation of genes encoding components of the T cell receptor complex and nucleolus, including TP53, IL2RB, and NCL Finally, SPI1 may emerge as a central transcriptional factor associated with the up-regulated genes, whereas TP53, MYC, and MAX were associated with the down-regulated genes during COVID-19. This study identified targets and transcriptional factors, lighting on the molecular pathophysiology of syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Teixeira Oliveira
- https://ror.org/04wn09761 Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Natal, Brazil
| | - Júlia Firme Freitas
- https://ror.org/04wn09761 Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Thiago Jesus da Silva Xavier
- https://ror.org/04wn09761 Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lucymara Fassarella Agnez-Lima
- https://ror.org/04wn09761 Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, UFRN, Natal, Brazil
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Luo H, Yan J, Gong R, Zhang D, Zhou X, Wang X. Identification of biomarkers and pathways for the SARS-CoV-2 infections in obstructive sleep apnea patients based on machine learning and proteomic analysis. BMC Pulm Med 2024; 24:112. [PMID: 38443855 PMCID: PMC10913609 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-02921-1] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was found to be higher in individuals following COVID-19 infection. However, the intricate mechanisms that underscore this concomitance remain partially elucidated. The aim of this study was to delve deeper into the molecular mechanisms that underpin this comorbidity. METHODS We acquired gene expression profiles for COVID-19 (GSE157103) and OSA (GSE75097) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Upon identifying shared feature genes between OSA and COVID-19 utilizing LASSO, Random forest and Support vector machines algorithms, we advanced to functional annotation, analysis of protein-protein interaction networks, module construction, and identification of pivotal genes. Furthermore, we established regulatory networks encompassing transcription factor (TF)-gene and TF-miRNA interactions, and searched for promising drug targets. Subsequently, the expression levels of pivotal genes were validated through proteomics data from COVID-19 cases. RESULTS Fourteen feature genes shared between OSA and COVID-19 were selected for further investigation. Through functional annotation, it was indicated that metabolic pathways play a role in the pathogenesis of both disorders. Subsequently, employing the cytoHubba plugin, ten hub genes were recognized, namely TP53, CCND1, MDM2, RB1, HIF1A, EP300, STAT3, CDK2, HSP90AA1, and PPARG. The finding of proteomics unveiled a substantial augmentation in the expression level of HSP90AA1 in COVID-19 patient samples, especially in severe conditions. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation illuminate a mutual pathogenic mechanism that underlies both OSA and COVID-19, which may provide novel perspectives for future investigations into the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Luo
- Department of Tuberculosis and Respiratory, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jisong Yan
- Department of Tuberculosis and Respiratory, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Gong
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Dingyu Zhang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, Anhui, China
- Center for Translational Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xia Zhou
- Department of Tuberculosis and Respiratory, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Wuhan, China.
- Wuhan Research Center for Communicable Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China.
- Joint Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Health, Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xianguang Wang
- Department of Tuberculosis and Respiratory, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Wuhan, China.
- Wuhan Research Center for Communicable Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China.
- Joint Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Health, Wuhan Institute of Virology and Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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5
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Hadzega D, Babisova K, Hyblova M, Janostiakova N, Sabaka P, Janega P, Minarik G. Analysis of transcriptomics data from COVID-19 patients: a pilot research. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2024; 69:155-164. [PMID: 38240884 PMCID: PMC10876742 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-024-01130-x] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
During SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus transforms the infected host cell into factories that produce new viral particles. As infection progresses, the infected cells undergo numerous changes in various pathways. One of these changes is the occurrence of a cytokine storm, which leads to severe symptoms. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic changes caused by COVID-19 by analyzing RNA-seq data obtained from COVID-19-positive patients as well as COVID-19-negative donors. RNA-seq data were collected for the purpose of identification of potential biomarkers associated with a different course of the disease. We analyzed the first datasets, consisting of 96 samples to validate our methods. The objective of this publication is to report the pilot results. To explore potential biomarkers related to disease severity, we conducted a differential expression analysis of human transcriptome, focusing on COVID-19 positivity and symptom severity. Given the large number of potential biomarkers we identified, we further performed pathway enrichment analysis with terms from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG) to obtain a more profound understanding of altered pathways. Our results indicate that pathways related to immune processes, response to infection, and multiple signaling pathways were affected. These findings align with several previous studies that also reported the influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nikola Janostiakova
- Comenius University in Bratislava, Medical Faculty, Institute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Špitálska 24, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Sabaka
- Department of Infectology and Geographical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Brati-Slava, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Moradi Marjaneh M, Challenger JD, Salas A, Gómez-Carballa A, Sivananthan A, Rivero-Calle I, Barbeito-Castiñeiras G, Foo CY, Wu Y, Liew F, Jackson HR, Habgood-Coote D, D'Souza G, Nichols SJ, Wright VJ, Levin M, Kaforou M, Thwaites RS, Okell LC, Martinón-Torres F, Cunnington AJ. Analysis of blood and nasal epithelial transcriptomes to identify mechanisms associated with control of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the upper respiratory tract. J Infect 2023; 87:538-550. [PMID: 37863321 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2023.10.009] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The amount of SARS-CoV-2 detected in the upper respiratory tract (URT viral load) is a key driver of transmission of infection. Current evidence suggests that mechanisms constraining URT viral load are different from those controlling lower respiratory tract viral load and disease severity. Understanding such mechanisms may help to develop treatments and vaccine strategies to reduce transmission. Combining mathematical modelling of URT viral load dynamics with transcriptome analyses we aimed to identify mechanisms controlling URT viral load. METHODS COVID-19 patients were recruited in Spain during the first wave of the pandemic. RNA sequencing of peripheral blood and targeted NanoString nCounter transcriptome analysis of nasal epithelium were performed and gene expression analysed in relation to paired URT viral load samples collected within 15 days of symptom onset. Proportions of major immune cells in blood were estimated from transcriptional data using computational differential estimation. Weighted correlation network analysis (adjusted for cell proportions) and fixed transcriptional repertoire analysis were used to identify associations with URT viral load, quantified as standard deviations (z-scores) from an expected trajectory over time. RESULTS Eighty-two subjects (50% female, median age 54 years (range 3-73)) with COVID-19 were recruited. Paired URT viral load samples were available for 16 blood transcriptome samples, and 17 respiratory epithelial transcriptome samples. Natural Killer (NK) cells were the only blood cell type significantly correlated with URT viral load z-scores (r = -0.62, P = 0.010). Twenty-four blood gene expression modules were significantly correlated with URT viral load z-score, the most significant being a module of genes connected around IFNA14 (Interferon Alpha-14) expression (r = -0.60, P = 1e-10). In fixed repertoire analysis, prostanoid-related gene expression was significantly associated with higher viral load. In nasal epithelium, only GNLY (granulysin) gene expression showed significant negative correlation with viral load. CONCLUSIONS Correlations between the transcriptional host response and inter-individual variations in SARS-CoV-2 URT viral load, revealed many molecular mechanisms plausibly favouring or constraining viral replication. Existing evidence corroborates many of these mechanisms, including likely roles for NK cells, granulysin, prostanoids and interferon alpha-14. Inhibition of prostanoid production and administration of interferon alpha-14 may be attractive transmission-blocking interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Moradi Marjaneh
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Joseph D Challenger
- Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infections Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Antonio Salas
- Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain; Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Gómez-Carballa
- Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain; Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Abilash Sivananthan
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Irene Rivero-Calle
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Gema Barbeito-Castiñeiras
- Servicio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Cher Y Foo
- School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Felicity Liew
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Heather R Jackson
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dominic Habgood-Coote
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Giselle D'Souza
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Samuel J Nichols
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Victoria J Wright
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Levin
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Myrsini Kaforou
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ryan S Thwaites
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy C Okell
- Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infections Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Aubrey J Cunnington
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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7
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Formosa A, Acton E, Lee A, Turgeon P, Izhar S, Plant P, Tsoporis JN, Soussi S, Trahtemberg U, Baker A, dos Santos CC. Validation of reference gene stability for miRNA quantification by reverse transcription quantitative PCR in the peripheral blood of patients with COVID-19 critical illness. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286871. [PMID: 37643172 PMCID: PMC10464995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgency to study the host gene response that leads to variable clinical presentations of the disease, particularly the critical illness response. miRNAs have been implicated in the mechanism of host immune dysregulation and thus hold potential as biomarkers and/or therapeutic agents with clinical application. Hence, further analyses of their altered expression in COVID-19 is warranted. An important basis for this is identifying appropriate reference genes for high quality expression analysis studies. In the current report, NanoString technology was used to study the expression of 798 miRNAs in the peripheral blood of 24 critically ill patients, 12 had COVID-19 and 12 were COVID-19 negative. A list of potentially stable candidate reference genes was generated that included ten miRNAs. The top six were analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in a total of 41 patients so as to apply standard computational algorithms for validating reference genes, namely geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and RefFinder. There was general agreement among all four algorithms in the ranking of four stable miRNAs: miR-186-5p, miR-148b-3p, miR-194-5p and miR-448. A detailed analysis of their output rankings led to the conclusion that miR-186-5p and miR-148b-3p are appropriate reference genes for miRNA expression studies using PaxGene tubes in the peripheral blood of patients critically ill with COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Formosa
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erica Acton
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Department, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amy Lee
- Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Department, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul Turgeon
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shehla Izhar
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pamela Plant
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jim N. Tsoporis
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sabri Soussi
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Uriel Trahtemberg
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Critical Care Department, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel
| | - Andrew Baker
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Critical Care, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claudia C. dos Santos
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Critical Care, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Scaramuzzo G, Nucera F, Asmundo A, Messina R, Mari M, Montanaro F, Johansen MD, Monaco F, Fadda G, Tuccari G, Hansbro NG, Hansbro PM, Hansel TT, Adcock IM, David A, Kirkham P, Caramori G, Volta CA, Spadaro S. Cellular and molecular features of COVID-19 associated ARDS: therapeutic relevance. J Inflamm (Lond) 2023; 20:11. [PMID: 36941580 PMCID: PMC10027286 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-023-00333-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can be asymptomatic or cause a disease (COVID-19) characterized by different levels of severity. The main cause of severe COVID-19 and death is represented by acute (or acute on chronic) respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), often requiring hospital admission and ventilator support.The molecular pathogenesis of COVID-19-related ARDS (by now termed c-ARDS) is still poorly understood. In this review we will discuss the genetic susceptibility to COVID-19, the pathogenesis and the local and systemic biomarkers correlated with c-ARDS and the therapeutic options that target the cell signalling pathways of c-ARDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Scaramuzzo
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Emergency, Section of Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesco Nucera
- Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (BIOMORF), Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Alessio Asmundo
- Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (BIOMORF), Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Roberto Messina
- Intensive Care Unit, Dipartimento di Patologia Umana e dell'Età Evolutiva Gaetano Barresi, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Matilde Mari
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Emergency, Section of Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Federica Montanaro
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Emergency, Section of Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matt D Johansen
- Centre for Inflammation, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Francesco Monaco
- Chirurgia Toracica, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (BIOMORF), Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Guido Fadda
- Section of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Developmental Age "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanni Tuccari
- Section of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Developmental Age "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Nicole G Hansbro
- Centre for Inflammation, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Philip M Hansbro
- Centre for Inflammation, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Trevor T Hansel
- Medical Research Council and Asthma, UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, London, UK
| | - Ian M Adcock
- Airway Disease Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Antonio David
- Intensive Care Unit, Dipartimento di Patologia Umana e dell'Età Evolutiva Gaetano Barresi, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Paul Kirkham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, Wolverhampton, UK
| | - Gaetano Caramori
- Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali (BIOMORF), Università di Messina, Messina, Italy.
| | - Carlo Alberto Volta
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Emergency, Section of Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Savino Spadaro
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Emergency, Section of Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Sant'Anna, Ferrara, Italy
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9
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Hasankhani A, Bahrami A, Tavakoli-Far B, Iranshahi S, Ghaemi F, Akbarizadeh MR, Amin AH, Abedi Kiasari B, Mohammadzadeh Shabestari A. The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors in the modulation of hyperinflammation induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection: A perspective for COVID-19 therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1127358. [PMID: 36875108 PMCID: PMC9981974 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1127358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe respiratory disease caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that affects the lower and upper respiratory tract in humans. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with the induction of a cascade of uncontrolled inflammatory responses in the host, ultimately leading to hyperinflammation or cytokine storm. Indeed, cytokine storm is a hallmark of SARS-CoV-2 immunopathogenesis, directly related to the severity of the disease and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Considering the lack of any definitive treatment for COVID-19, targeting key inflammatory factors to regulate the inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients could be a fundamental step to developing effective therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Currently, in addition to well-defined metabolic actions, especially lipid metabolism and glucose utilization, there is growing evidence of a central role of the ligand-dependent nuclear receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) including PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ in the control of inflammatory signals in various human inflammatory diseases. This makes them attractive targets for developing therapeutic approaches to control/suppress the hyperinflammatory response in patients with severe COVID-19. In this review, we (1) investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms mediated by PPARs and their ligands during SARS-CoV-2 infection, and (2) on the basis of the recent literature, highlight the importance of PPAR subtypes for the development of promising therapeutic approaches against the cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliakbar Hasankhani
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Bahrami
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Bahareh Tavakoli-Far
- Dietary Supplements and Probiotic Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Setare Iranshahi
- School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshty University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farnaz Ghaemi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Reza Akbarizadeh
- Department of Pediatric, School of Medicine, Amir al momenin Hospital, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Ali H. Amin
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Bahman Abedi Kiasari
- Virology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Mohammadzadeh Shabestari
- Department of Dental Surgery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Khorasan Covid-19 Scientific Committee, Mashhad, Iran
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10
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The Landscape of Expressed Chimeric Transcripts in the Blood of Severe COVID-19 Infected Patients. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020433. [PMID: 36851647 PMCID: PMC9958880 DOI: 10.3390/v15020433] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections has quickly developed into a global public health threat. COVID-19 patients show distinct clinical features, and in some cases, during the severe stage of the condition, the disease severity leads to an acute respiratory disorder. In spite of several pieces of research in this area, the molecular mechanisms behind the development of disease severity are still not clearly understood. Recent studies demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 alters the host cell splicing and transcriptional response to overcome the host immune response that provides the virus with favorable conditions to replicate efficiently within the host cells. In several disease conditions, aberrant splicing could lead to the development of novel chimeric transcripts that could promote the functional alternations of the cell. As severe SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported to cause abnormal splicing in the infected cells, we could expect the generation and expression of novel chimeric transcripts. However, no study so far has attempted to check whether novel chimeric transcripts are expressed in severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. In this study, we analyzed several publicly available blood transcriptome datasets of severe COVID-19, mild COVID-19, other severe respiratory viral infected patients, and healthy individuals. We identified 424 severe COVID-19 -specific chimeric transcripts, 42 of which were recurrent. Further, we detected 189 chimeric transcripts common to severe COVID-19 and multiple severe respiratory viral infections. Pathway and gene enrichment analysis of the parental genes of these two subsets of chimeric transcripts reveals that these are potentially involved in immune-related processes, interferon signaling, and inflammatory responses, which signify their potential association with immune dysfunction leading to the development of disease severity. Our study provides the first detailed expression landscape of chimeric transcripts in severe COVID-19 and other severe respiratory viral infections.
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11
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Lim FY, Kim SY, Kulkarni KN, Blazevic RL, Kimball LE, Lea HG, Haack AJ, Gower MS, Stevens-Ayers T, Starita LM, Boeckh M, Schiffer JT, Hyrien O, Theberge AB, Waghmare A. Longitudinal home self-collection of capillary blood using homeRNA correlates interferon and innate viral defense pathways with SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.01.24.23284913. [PMID: 37034678 PMCID: PMC10081427 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.24.23284913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Blood transcriptional profiling is a powerful tool to evaluate immune responses to infection; however, blood collection via traditional phlebotomy remains a barrier to precise characterization of the immune response in dynamic infections (e.g., respiratory viruses). Here we present an at-home self-collection methodology, homeRNA, to study the host transcriptional response during acute SARS-CoV-2 infections. This method uniquely enables high frequency measurement of the host immune kinetics in non-hospitalized adults during the acute and most dynamic stage of their infection. COVID-19+ and healthy participants self-collected blood every other day for two weeks with daily nasal swabs and symptom surveys to track viral load kinetics and symptom burden, respectively. While healthy uninfected participants showed remarkably stable immune kinetics with no significant dynamic genes, COVID-19+ participants, on the contrary, depicted a robust response with over 418 dynamic genes associated with interferon and innate viral defense pathways. When stratified by vaccination status, we detected distinct response signatures between unvaccinated and breakthrough (vaccinated) infection subgroups; unvaccinated individuals portrayed a response repertoire characterized by higher innate antiviral responses, interferon signaling, and cytotoxic lymphocyte responses while breakthrough infections portrayed lower levels of interferon signaling and enhanced early cell-mediated response. Leveraging cross-platform longitudinal sampling (nasal swabs and blood), we observed that IFI27, a key viral response gene, tracked closely with SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance in individual participants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that at-home sampling can capture key host antiviral responses and facilitate frequent longitudinal sampling to detect transient host immune kinetics during dynamic immune states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yun Lim
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Soo-Young Kim
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Karisma N. Kulkarni
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Rachel L. Blazevic
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Louise E. Kimball
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Hannah G. Lea
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Amanda J. Haack
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Maia. S. Gower
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Terry Stevens-Ayers
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Lea M. Starita
- Brotman Baty Institute, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Michael Boeckh
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Joshua T. Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Ollivier Hyrien
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Ashleigh B. Theberge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
- Department of Urology, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
| | - Alpana Waghmare
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Seattle, Washington, U.S.A
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12
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Blood leukocyte transcriptional modules and differentially expressed genes associated with disease severity and age in COVID-19 patients. Sci Rep 2023; 13:898. [PMID: 36650374 PMCID: PMC9844197 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28227-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the molecular mechanisms determining COVID-19 severity are not yet well understood, there is a demand for biomarkers derived from comparative transcriptome analyses of mild and severe cases, combined with patients' clinico-demographic and laboratory data. Here the transcriptomic response of human leukocytes to SARS-CoV-2 infection was investigated by focusing on the differences between mild and severe cases and between age subgroups (younger and older adults). Three transcriptional modules correlated with these traits were functionally characterized, as well as 23 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated to disease severity. One module, correlated with severe cases and older patients, had an overrepresentation of genes involved in innate immune response and in neutrophil activation, whereas two other modules, correlated with disease severity and younger patients, harbored genes involved in the innate immune response to viral infections, and in the regulation of this response. This transcriptomic mechanism could be related to the better outcome observed in younger COVID-19 patients. The DEGs, all hyper-expressed in the group of severe cases, were mostly involved in neutrophil activation and in the p53 pathway, therefore related to inflammation and lymphopenia. These biomarkers may be useful for getting a better stratification of risk factors in COVID-19.
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13
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Gómez-Carballa A, Pardo-Seco J, Pischedda S, Rivero-Calle I, Butler-Laporte G, Richards JB, Viz-Lasheras S, Martinón-Torres F, Salas A. Sex-biased expression of the TLR7 gene in severe COVID-19 patients: Insights from transcriptomics and epigenomics. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 215:114288. [PMID: 36152884 PMCID: PMC9508271 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is abundant epidemiological data indicating that the incidence of severe cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is significantly higher in males than females worldwide. Moreover, genetic variation at the X-chromosome linked TLR7 gene has been associated with COVID-19 severity. It has been suggested that the sex-biased incidence of COVID-19 might be related to the fact that TLR7 escapes X-chromosome inactivation during early embryogenesis in females, thus encoding a doble dose of its gene product compared to males. We analyzed TLR7 expression in two acute phase cohorts of COVID-19 patients that used two different technological platforms, one of them in a multi-tissue context including saliva, nasal, and blood samples, and a third cohort that included different post-infection timepoints of long-COVID-19 patients. We additionally explored methylation patterns of TLR7 using epigenomic data from an independent cohort of COVID-19 patients stratified by severity and sex. In line with genome-wide association studies, we provide supportive evidence indicating that TLR7 has altered CpG methylation patterns and it is consistently downregulated in males compared to females in the most severe cases of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Gómez-Carballa
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain
| | - J Pardo-Seco
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain
| | - S Pischedda
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain
| | - I Rivero-Calle
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - G Butler-Laporte
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - J B Richards
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - S Viz-Lasheras
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain
| | - F Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - A Salas
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain.
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14
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Gómez-Carballa A, Martinón-Torres F, Salas A. Is SARS-CoV-2 an oncogenic virus? J Infect 2022; 85:573-607. [PMID: 35961462 PMCID: PMC9361571 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Gómez-Carballa
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain.
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Antonio Salas
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Galicia, Spain.
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