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Sfikakis PP, Verrou KM, Ampatziadis-Michailidis G, Tsitsilonis O, Paraskevis D, Kastritis E, Lianidou E, Moutsatsou P, Terpos E, Trougakos I, Chini V, Manoloukos M, Moulos P, Pavlopoulos GA, Kollias G, Hatzis P, Dimopoulos MA. Blood Transcriptomes of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody-Positive Healthy Individuals Who Experienced Asymptomatic Versus Clinical Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 12:746203. [PMID: 34675930 PMCID: PMC8523987 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.746203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The reasons behind the clinical variability of SARS-CoV-2 infection, ranging from asymptomatic infection to lethal disease, are still unclear. We performed genome-wide transcriptional whole-blood RNA sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and PCR validation to test the hypothesis that immune response-related gene signatures reflecting baseline may differ between healthy individuals, with an equally robust antibody response, who experienced an entirely asymptomatic (n=17) versus clinical SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=15) in the past months (mean of 14 weeks). Among 12.789 protein-coding genes analysed, we identified six and nine genes with significantly decreased or increased expression, respectively, in those with prior asymptomatic infection relatively to those with clinical infection. All six genes with decreased expression (IFIT3, IFI44L, RSAD2, FOLR3, PI3, ALOX15), are involved in innate immune response while the first two are interferon-induced proteins. Among genes with increased expression six are involved in immune response (GZMH, CLEC1B, CLEC12A), viral mRNA translation (GCAT), energy metabolism (CACNA2D2) and oxidative stress response (ENC1). Notably, 8/15 differentially expressed genes are regulated by interferons. Our results suggest that subtle differences at baseline expression of innate immunity-related genes may be associated with an asymptomatic disease course in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Whether a certain gene signature predicts, or not, those who will develop a more efficient immune response upon exposure to SARS-CoV-2, with implications for prioritization for vaccination, warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petros P. Sfikakis
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Kleio-Maria Verrou
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Giannis Ampatziadis-Michailidis
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Ourania Tsitsilonis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Efstathios Kastritis
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Evi Lianidou
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens, Greece
| | - Paraskevi Moutsatsou
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, NKUA, Haidari, Greece
| | - Evangelos Terpos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Trougakos
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Chini
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Menelaos Manoloukos
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Moulos
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC) Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - Georgios A. Pavlopoulos
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC) Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - George Kollias
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC) Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - Pantelis Hatzis
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Center (BSRC) Alexander Fleming, Vari, Greece
| | - Meletios A. Dimopoulos
- Center of New Biotechnologies & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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