1
|
Angelim CC, Martins LD, Andrade ÁAF, Moreira FC, Guerreiro JF, de Assumpção PP, dos Santos SEB, Costa GDLC. Variants of IFNL4 Gene in Amazonian and Northern Brazilian Populations. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2075. [PMID: 38003018 PMCID: PMC10671175 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112075] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the polymorphic nature of the IFNL4 gene, its variants have been investigated and associated with several viral diseases, with an emphasis on hepatitis C. However, the impacts of these variants on mixed-race and native populations in the northern region of Brazil are scarce. We investigated three variants of the IFNL4 gene in populations from this location, which were among the 14 most frequent variants in worldwide populations, and compared the frequencies obtained to populational data from the 1000 Genomes Project, gnomAD and ABraOM databases. Our results demonstrate that mixed-race and native populations from the northern region of Brazil present frequencies like those of European and Asian groups for the rs74597329 and rs11322783 variants, and like all populations presented for the rs4803221 variant. These data reinforce the role of world populations in shaping the genetic profile of Brazilian populations, indicate patterns of illness according to the expressed genotype, and infer an individual predisposition to certain diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cabral Angelim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agentes Infecciosos e Parasitários, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (L.D.M.); (Á.A.F.A.); (S.E.B.d.S.)
| | - Letícia Dias Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agentes Infecciosos e Parasitários, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (L.D.M.); (Á.A.F.A.); (S.E.B.d.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Virologia, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Ananindeua 67030-000, PA, Brazil
| | - Álesson Adam Fonseca Andrade
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agentes Infecciosos e Parasitários, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (L.D.M.); (Á.A.F.A.); (S.E.B.d.S.)
| | - Fabiano Cordeiro Moreira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (F.C.M.); (J.F.G.)
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Oncologia, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil;
| | - João Farias Guerreiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (F.C.M.); (J.F.G.)
| | | | - Sidney Emanuel Batista dos Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agentes Infecciosos e Parasitários, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (L.D.M.); (Á.A.F.A.); (S.E.B.d.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (F.C.M.); (J.F.G.)
| | - Greice de Lemos Cardoso Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Agentes Infecciosos e Parasitários, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, PA, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (L.D.M.); (Á.A.F.A.); (S.E.B.d.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Baker FS, Wang J, Florez-Vargas O, Brand NR, Ogwang MD, Kerchan P, Reynolds SJ, Tenge CN, Were PA, Kuremu RT, Wekesa WN, Masalu N, Kawira E, Kinyera T, Otim I, Legason ID, Nabalende H, Chagaluka G, Mutalima N, Borgstein E, Liomba GN, Kamiza S, Mkandawire N, Mitambo C, Molyneux EM, Newton R, Prokunina-Olsson L, Mbulaiteye SM. IFNL4 Genotypes and Risk of Childhood Burkitt Lymphoma in East Africa. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2023; 43:394-402. [PMID: 37366802 PMCID: PMC10623078 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2023.0014] [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: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Interferon lambda 4 (IFN-λ4) is a novel type-III interferon that can be expressed only by carriers of the genetic variant rs368234815-dG within the first exon of the IFNL4 gene. Genetic inability to produce IFN-λ4 (in carriers of the rs368234815-TT/TT genotype) has been associated with improved clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The IFN-λ4-expressing rs368234815-dG allele (IFNL4-dG) is most common (up to 78%) in West sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), compared to 35% of Europeans and 5% of individuals from East Asia. The negative selection of IFNL4-dG outside Africa suggests that its retention in African populations could provide survival benefits, most likely in children. To explore this hypothesis, we conducted a comprehensive association analysis between IFNL4 genotypes and the risk of childhood Burkitt lymphoma (BL), a lethal infection-associated cancer most common in SSA. We used genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical data for 4,038 children from the Epidemiology of Burkitt Lymphoma in East African Children and Minors (EMBLEM) and the Malawi Infections and Childhood Cancer case-control studies. Generalized linear mixed models fit with the logit link controlling for age, sex, country, P. falciparum infection status, population stratification, and relatedness found no significant association between BL risk and 3 coding genetic variants within IFNL4 (rs368234815, rs117648444, and rs142981501) and their combinations. Because BL occurs in children 6-9 years of age who survived early childhood infections, our results suggest that additional studies should explore the associations of IFNL4-dG allele in younger children. This comprehensive study represents an important baseline in defining the health effects of IFN-λ4 in African populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francine S. Baker
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeanny Wang
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Oscar Florez-Vargas
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Nathan R. Brand
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Martin D. Ogwang
- EMBLEM Study, St. Mary's Hospital, Lacor, Uganda
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Patrick Kerchan
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
- EMBLEM Study, Kuluva Hospital, Arua, Uganda
| | - Steven J. Reynolds
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Pamela A. Were
- EMBLEM Study, Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH), Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Robert T. Kuremu
- EMBLEM Study, Moi University College of Health Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Walter N. Wekesa
- EMBLEM Study, Moi University College of Health Sciences, Eldoret, Kenya
| | | | - Esther Kawira
- EMBLEM Study, Shirati Health, Education, and Development Foundation, Shirati, Tanzania
| | - Tobias Kinyera
- EMBLEM Study, St. Mary's Hospital, Lacor, Uganda
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Isaac Otim
- EMBLEM Study, St. Mary's Hospital, Lacor, Uganda
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ismail D. Legason
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
- EMBLEM Study, Kuluva Hospital, Arua, Uganda
| | - Hadijah Nabalende
- EMBLEM Study, St. Mary's Hospital, Lacor, Uganda
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
| | - George Chagaluka
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Nora Mutalima
- Epidemiology and Cancer Statistics Group, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Borgstein
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - George N. Liomba
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Steve Kamiza
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Nyengo Mkandawire
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Elizabeth M. Molyneux
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Robert Newton
- Epidemiology and Cancer Statistics Group, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sam M. Mbulaiteye
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yazdanparast S, Bakhtiyaridovvombaygi M, Mikanik F, Ahmadi R, Ghorbani M, Mansoorian MR, Mansoorian M, Chegni H, Moshari J, Gharehbaghian A. Spotlight on contributory role of host immunogenetic profiling in SARS-CoV-2 infection: Susceptibility, severity, mortality, and vaccine effectiveness. Life Sci 2023:121907. [PMID: 37394094 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread continuously worldwide, characterized by various clinical symptoms. The immune system responds to SARS-CoV-2 infection by producing Abs and secreting cytokines. Recently, numerous studies have highlighted that immunogenetic factors perform a putative role in COVID-19 pathogenesis and implicate vaccination effectiveness. AIM This review summarizes the relevant articles and evaluates the significance of mutation and polymorphism in immune-related genes regarding susceptibility, severity, mortality, and vaccination effectiveness of COVID-19. Furthermore, the correlation between host immunogenetic and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection is discussed. METHOD A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant articles using five databases until January 2023, which resulted in 105 total articles. KEY FINDINGS Taken to gather this review summarized that: (a) there is a plausible correlation between immune-related genes and COVID-19 outcomes, (b) the HLAs, cytokines, chemokines, and other immune-related genes expression profiles can be a prognostic factor in COVID-19-infected patients, and (c) polymorphisms in immune-related genes have been associated with the effectiveness of vaccination. SIGNIFICANCE Regarding the importance of mutation and polymorphisms in immune-related genes in COVID-19 outcomes, modulating candidate genes is expected to help clinical decisions, patient outcomes management, and innovative therapeutic approach development. In addition, the manipulation of host immunogenetics is hypothesized to induce more robust cellular and humoral immune responses, effectively increase the efficacy of vaccines, and subsequently reduce the incidence rates of reinfection-associated COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Yazdanparast
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Bakhtiyaridovvombaygi
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mikanik
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Ahmadi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ghorbani
- Laboratory Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
| | | | - Mozhgan Mansoorian
- Nursing Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Hamid Chegni
- Department of Immunology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalil Moshari
- School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Science, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Ahmad Gharehbaghian
- Department of Hematology and Blood Bank, School of Allied Medical Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; Pediatric Congenital Hematologic Disorders Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Martínez-Espinoza I, Guerrero-Plata A. Current Landscape of IFN-λ: Induction, Inhibition, and Potential Clinical Applications to Treat Respiratory Viral Infections. Immunohorizons 2023; 7:265-272. [PMID: 37071039 PMCID: PMC10579847 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2200010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IFN-λ or type III IFN is an important mediator of antiviral response. Several respiratory viruses induce the production of IFN-λ during their course of infection. However, they have also developed intricate mechanisms to inhibit its expression and activity. Despite a considerable amount of research on the regulatory mechanisms of respiratory viruses on the IFN-λ response, little is still known about the effect of this cytokine on immune cells and the antiviral effects of all IFN-λ isoforms, and a better understanding of the detrimental effects of IFN-λ treatment is required. Here we highlight the relevance of IFN-λ as an antiviral cytokine in the respiratory tract. Data from studies in vitro, ex vivo, experimental animal models, and ongoing clinical trials emphasize the therapeutic opportunity that IFN-λ represents to treat and prevent different types of respiratory viral infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iván Martínez-Espinoza
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Antonieta Guerrero-Plata
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fang MZ, Jackson SS, Pfeiffer RM, Kim EY, Chen S, Hussain SK, Jacobson LP, Martinson J, Prokunina-Olsson L, Thio CL, Duggal P, Wolinsky S, O’Brien TR. No Association of IFNL4 Genotype With Opportunistic Infections and Cancers Among Men With Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Infection. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 76:521-527. [PMID: 36573283 PMCID: PMC10169417 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac447] [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: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND IFNL4 genetic variants that are strongly associated with clearance of hepatitis C virus have been linked to risk of certain opportunistic infections (OIs) and cancers, including Kaposi sarcoma, cytomegalovirus infection, and herpes simplex virus infection. As the interferon (IFN) λ family plays a role in response to viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, IFNL4 genotype might affect risk for a wide range of OIs/cancers. METHODS We examined associations between genotype for the functional IFNL4 rs368234815 polymorphism and incidence of 16 OIs/cancers among 2310 men with human immunodeficiency virus (2038 white; 272 black) enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study during 1984-1990. Our primary analyses used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for self-reported racial ancestry to estimate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals, comparing participants with the genotypes that generate IFN-λ4 and those with the genotype that abrogates IFN-λ4. We censored follow-up at the introduction of highly effective antiretroviral therapies. RESULTS We found no statistically significant association between IFNL4 genotype and the incidence of Kaposi sarcoma (hazard ratio, 0.92 [95% confidence interval, .76-1.11]), cytomegalovirus infection (0.94 [.71-1.24]), herpes simplex virus infection (1.37 [.68-2.93]), or any other OI/cancer. We observed consistent results using additive genetic models and after controlling for CD4 cell count through time-dependent adjustment or restriction to participants with a low CD4 cell count. CONCLUSIONS The absence of associations between IFNL4 genotype and these OIs/cancers provides evidence that this gene does not affect the risk of disease from opportunistic pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Z Fang
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah S Jackson
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ruth M Pfeiffer
- Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Eun-Young Kim
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sabrina Chen
- Information Management Services Inc., Calverton, Maryland, USA
| | - Shehnaz K Hussain
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Lisa P Jacobson
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeremy Martinson
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Laboratory of Translational Genomics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Chloe L Thio
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Priya Duggal
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven Wolinsky
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Thomas R O’Brien
- Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Papageorgiou L, Papakonstantinou E, Diakou I, Pierouli K, Dragoumani K, Bacopoulou F, Chrousos GP, Eliopoulos E, Vlachakis D. Semantic and Population Analysis of the Genetic Targets Related to COVID-19 and Its Association with Genes and Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1423:59-78. [PMID: 37525033 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-31978-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus responsible for one of the most serious, modern worldwide pandemics, with lasting and multifaceted effects. By late 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 180 million people and has killed more than 3 million. The virus gains entrance to human cells through binding to ACE2 via its surface spike protein and causes a complex disease of the respiratory system, termed COVID-19. Vaccination efforts are being made to hinder the viral spread, and therapeutics are currently under development. Toward this goal, scientific attention is shifting toward variants and SNPs that affect factors of the disease such as susceptibility and severity. This genomic grammar, tightly related to the dark part of our genome, can be explored through the use of modern methods such as natural language processing. We present a semantic analysis of SARS-CoV-2-related publications, which yielded a repertoire of SNPs, genes, and disease ontologies. Population data from the 1000 Genomes Project were subsequently integrated into the pipeline. Data mining approaches of this scale have the potential to elucidate the complex interaction between COVID-19 pathogenesis and host genetic variation; the resulting knowledge can facilitate the management of high-risk groups and aid the efforts toward precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louis Papageorgiou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Papakonstantinou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Io Diakou
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Pierouli
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina Dragoumani
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Flora Bacopoulou
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - George P Chrousos
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Eliopoulos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Vlachakis
- Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Oleinik LA, Madonov PG, Pykhtina MB. Potential of Interferon Lambda as an Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. Mol Biol 2023; 57:291-298. [PMID: 37128210 PMCID: PMC10131541 DOI: 10.1134/s0026893323020152] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This study provides an overview of scientific results on the feasibility of using type III interferons against SARS-CoV-2. We have analyzed data obtained from the PubMed electronic database for the period 2020‒2022. The results of our own studies of pharmacological substances based on recombinant IFN-λ1 and its pegylated form are also presented. Completed and ongoing investigations allow us to position IFN-λ as an effective therapeutic agent against SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L. A. Oleinik
- Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymрhology—Branch of Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - P. G. Madonov
- Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymрhology—Branch of Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - M. B. Pykhtina
- Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Lymрhology—Branch of Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sorrentino L, Silvestri V, Oliveto G, Scordio M, Frasca F, Fracella M, Bitossi C, D’Auria A, Santinelli L, Gabriele L, Pierangeli A, Mastroianni CM, d’Ettorre G, Antonelli G, Caruz A, Ottini L, Scagnolari C. Distribution of Interferon Lambda 4 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism rs11322783 Genotypes in Patients with COVID-19. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020363. [PMID: 35208821 PMCID: PMC8876137 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020363] [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: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Type III interferons (IFN-III), also known as IFN-Lambda, have a pivotal role during SARS-CoV-2 infection. IFN-Lambda response among individuals is heterogeneous and its association with COVID-19 symptoms severity needs to be further clarified. We analyzed the genotype frequencies of IFNL4 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11322783 in patients with COVID-19 (n = 128), in comparison with a validated data set of European healthy controls (n = 14152). The IFNL4 SNP was also analyzed according to the haematological and clinical parameters of patients with COVID-19. The distributions of IFNL4 genotypes among SARS-CoV-2 positive patients [TT/TT 41.4% (n = 53), TT/ΔG 47.7% (n = 61) and ΔG/ΔG 10.9% (n = 14)] and healthy controls were comparable. Different levels of white blood cells (p = 0.036) and neutrophils (p = 0.042) were found in the IFNL4 different genotypes in patients with COVID-19; the ΔG/ΔG genotype was more represented in the groups with low white blood cells and neutrophils. There were no differences in major inflammation parameters (C-reactive protein, D-dimer, Albumin, and Lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH)] and survival rate according to the IFNL4 genotypes. In conclusion, although patients with COVID-19 did not exhibit a different distribution of the IFNL4 SNP, the ΔG/ΔG genotype was associated with a lower count of immune cell populations. These findings need to be confirmed in larger groups of patients with COVID-19 and the role of IFNL4 SNP needs to be also investigated in other respiratory viral infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Sorrentino
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Valentina Silvestri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (L.O.)
| | - Giuseppe Oliveto
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Mirko Scordio
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Federica Frasca
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Matteo Fracella
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Camilla Bitossi
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Alessandra D’Auria
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Letizia Santinelli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (C.M.M.); (G.d.)
| | - Lucia Gabriele
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Pierangeli
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Claudio Maria Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (C.M.M.); (G.d.)
| | - Gabriella d’Ettorre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (C.M.M.); (G.d.)
| | - Guido Antonelli
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
| | - Antonio Caruz
- Immunogenetic Unit, Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain;
| | - Laura Ottini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (L.O.)
| | - Carolina Scagnolari
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (G.O.); (M.S.); (F.F.); (M.F.); (C.B.); (A.D.); (A.P.); (G.A.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Guo C, Reuss D, Coey JD, Sukumar S, Lang B, McLauchlan J, Boulant S, Stanifer ML, Bamford CGG. Conserved Induction of Distinct Antiviral Signalling Kinetics by Primate Interferon Lambda 4 Proteins. Front Immunol 2021; 12:772588. [PMID: 34868037 PMCID: PMC8636442 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.772588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Interferon lambdas (IFNλ) (also known as type III IFNs) are critical cytokines that combat infection predominantly at barrier tissues, such as the lung, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. Humans have four IFNλs (1–4), where IFNλ1–3 show ~80%–95% homology, and IFNλ4 is the most divergent displaying only ~30% sequence identity. Variants in IFNλ4 in humans are associated with the outcome of infection, such as with hepatitis C virus. However, how IFNλ4 variants impact cytokine signalling in other tissues and how well this is conserved is largely unknown. In this study, we address whether differences in antiviral signalling exist between IFNλ4 variants in human hepatocyte and intestinal cells, comparing them to IFNλ3. We demonstrate that compared to IFNλ3, wild-type human IFNλ4 induces a signalling response with distinct magnitudes and kinetics, which is modified by naturally occurring variants P70S and K154E in both cell types. IFNλ4’s distinct antiviral response was more rapid yet transient compared to IFNλ1 and 3. Additionally, divergent antiviral kinetics were also observed using non-human primate IFNλs and cell lines. Furthermore, an IFNλ4-like receptor-interacting interface failed to alter IFNλ1’s kinetics. Together, our data provide further evidence that major functional differences exist within the IFNλ gene family. These results highlight the possible tissue specialisation of IFNλs and encourage further investigation of the divergent, non-redundant activities of IFNλ4 and other IFNλs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cuncai Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Reuss
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonathon D Coey
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Swathi Sukumar
- Institute of Virology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Benjamin Lang
- Exzellenzcluster Science of Intelligence, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - John McLauchlan
- Medical Research Council University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Steeve Boulant
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Research Group "Cellular Polarity and Viral Infection", German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Megan L Stanifer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Connor G G Bamford
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rahimi P, Tarharoudi R, Rahimpour A, Mosayebi Amroabadi J, Ahmadi I, Anvari E, Siadat SD, Aghasadeghi M, Fateh A. The association between interferon lambda 3 and 4 gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms and the recovery of COVID-19 patients. Virol J 2021; 18:221. [PMID: 34775984 PMCID: PMC8590865 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01692-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The recent pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has elevated several clinical and scientific questions. These include how host genetic factors influence the pathogenesis and disease susceptibility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of interferon lambda 3 and 4 (IFNL3/4) gene polymorphisms and clinical parameters on the resistance and susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. METHODS A total of 750 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (375 survivors and 375 nonsurvivors) were included in this study. All single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on IFNL3 (rs12979860, rs8099917, and rs12980275) and IFNL4 rs368234815 were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. RESULTS In this study, a higher viral load (low PCR Ct value) was shown in nonsurvivor patients. In survivor patients, the frequency of the favorable genotypes of IFNL3/4 SNPs (rs12979860 CC, rs12980275 AA, rs8099917 TT, and rs368234815 TT/TT) was significantly higher than in nonsurvivor patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis has shown that a higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and PCR Ct value, and lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and also IFNL3 rs12979860 TT, IFNL3 rs8099917 GG, IFNL3 rs12980275 GG, and IFNL4 rs368234815 ∆G/∆G genotypes were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study proved that the severity of COVID-19 infection was associated with clinical parameters and unfavorable genotypes of IFNL3/IFNL4 SNPs. Further studies in different parts of the world are needed to show the relationship between severity of COVID-19 infection and host genetic factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pooneh Rahimi
- Hepatitis and AIDS Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Viral Vaccine Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rahil Tarharoudi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Rahimpour
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Iraj Ahmadi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran
| | - Enayat Anvari
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran
| | - Seyed Davar Siadat
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Aghasadeghi
- Hepatitis and AIDS Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Viral Vaccine Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abolfazl Fateh
- Department of Mycobacteriology and Pulmonary Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Interferon lambda 4 (IFNλ4) has shown antiviral activity against RNA viruses, including some coronaviruses. Besides, genetic variants of IFNL4 can be predictive of the clearance of RNA viruses. However, little is known about the effect of these genetic variants on SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we investigated whether there was a relationship of the rs12979860 polymorphism of IFNL4 with COVID-19. We found that the T allele of rs12979860 was overexpressed in COVID-19 patients with regard to the general population without this disease (36.16% vs. 26.40%, p = 6.4 × 10-4; OR 0.633 C vs T; 95% CI 0.487, 0.824), suggesting that this allele could be a risk factor for COVID-19. Accordingly, the CC genotype was significantly lower in COVID-19 patients compared to controls (37.85% vs. 55.51%, p = 8 × 10-5; OR 0.488; 95% CI 0.342, 0.698). These results were not affected by sex, age, and disease severity in patients with COVID-19. Our findings suggest that, like other infectious diseases caused by RNA viruses, genetic variants of IFNL4 can predispose to COVID-19. Confirmation of our results may contribute to better understanding the mechanisms of this disease.
Collapse
|
12
|
Hashemi SMA, Thijssen M, Hosseini SY, Tabarraei A, Pourkarim MR, Sarvari J. Human gene polymorphisms and their possible impact on the clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Arch Virol 2021; 166:2089-2108. [PMID: 33934196 PMCID: PMC8088757 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-021-05070-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become one of the most serious health concerns globally. Although multiple vaccines have recently been approved for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an effective treatment is still lacking. Our knowledge of the pathogenicity of this virus is still incomplete. Studies have revealed that viral factors such as the viral load, duration of exposure to the virus, and viral mutations are important variables in COVID-19 outcome. Furthermore, host factors, including age, health condition, co-morbidities, and genetic background, might also be involved in clinical manifestations and infection outcome. This review focuses on the importance of variations in the host genetic background and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. We will discuss the significance of polymorphisms in the ACE-2, TMPRSS2, vitamin D receptor, vitamin D binding protein, CD147, glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), neuropilin-1, heme oxygenase, apolipoprotein L1, vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1), and immune system genes for the clinical outcome of COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Ali Hashemi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Microbiology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Marijn Thijssen
- Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Seyed Younes Hosseini
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Alijan Tabarraei
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Reza Pourkarim
- Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Health Policy Research Centre, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Jamal Sarvari
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
De M, Bhushan A, Chinnaswamy S. Monocytes differentiated into macrophages and dendritic cells in the presence of human IFN-λ3 or IFN-λ4 show distinct phenotypes. J Leukoc Biol 2021; 110:357-374. [PMID: 33205487 PMCID: PMC7611425 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.3a0120-001rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human IFN-λ4 is expressed by only a subset of individuals who possess the ΔG variant allele at the dinucleotide polymorphism rs368234815. Recent genetic studies have shown an association between rs368234815 and different infectious and inflammatory disorders. It is not known if IFN-λ4 has immunomodulatory activity. The expression of another type III IFN, IFN-λ3, is also controlled by genetic polymorphisms that are strongly linked to rs368234815. Therefore, it is of interest to compare these two IFNs for their effects on immune cells. Herein, using THP-1 cells, it was confirmed that IFN-λ4 could affect the differentiation status of macrophage-like cells and dendritic cells (DCs). The global gene expression changes induced by IFN-λ4 were also characterized in in vitro generated primary macrophages. Next, human PBMC-derived CD14+ monocytes were used to obtain M1 and M2 macrophages and DCs in the presence of IFN-λ3 or IFN-λ4. These DCs were cocultured with CD4+ Th cells derived from allogenic donors and their in vitro cytokine responses were measured. The specific activity of recombinant IFN-λ4 was much lower than that of IFN-λ3, as shown by induction of IFN-stimulated genes. M1 macrophages differentiated in the presence of IFN-λ4 showed higher IL-10 secretion than those differentiated in IFN-λ3. Coculture experiments suggested that IFN-λ4 could confer a Th2-biased phenotype to allogenic Th cells, wherein IFN-λ3, under similar circumstances, did not induce a significant bias toward either a Th1 or Th2 phenotype. This study shows for the first time that IFN-λ4 may influence immune responses by immunomodulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manjarika De
- National Institute of Biomedical GenomicsKalyaniWest BengalIndia
| | - Anand Bhushan
- National Institute of Biomedical GenomicsKalyaniWest BengalIndia
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
da Silva AMV, Alvarado-Arnez LE, Azamor T, Batista-Silva LR, Leal-Calvo T, Bezerra OCDL, Ribeiro-Alves M, Kehdy FDSG, Neves PCDC, Bayma C, da Silva J, de Souza AF, Muller M, de Andrade EF, Andrade ACM, dos Santos EM, Xavier JR, Maia MDLDS, Meireles RP, Cuni HN, Sander GB, Picon PD, Matos DCS, Moraes MO. Interferon-lambda 3 and 4 Polymorphisms Increase Sustained Virological Responses and Regulate Innate Immunity in Antiviral Therapy With Pegylated Interferon-Alpha. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:656393. [PMID: 34307188 PMCID: PMC8294038 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.656393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained virologic response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment denotes that the host genetics controls the immune response and unequivocally contribute to viral clearance or disease severity. In this context, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the locus of interferon lambda 3 and 4 genes (IFNL3/4) have been important genetic markers of responsiveness to CHC as prognostic markers for the pegylated-Interferon-alpha/ribavirin (Peg-IFN-α/RBV). Here, we analyzed 12 SNPs at the IFNL3/4 region in 740 treatment-naïve patients with CHC infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1, 2, or 3 treated with Peg-IFN-α/RBV. Individually, rs12979860-CC, rs8109886-CC, or rs8099917-TT were predictive markers of SVR, while rs12979860-CC demonstrated the stronger effect. Besides, the genotypic combination of these three predictors' genotypes, CC/CC/TT, increased the rate of SVR. Serum levels of cytokines and gene expression analysis on the genes IFNL3, IFNL4, IFNA1, and some of the IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) were measured in a subgroup of 24 treated patients and 24 healthy volunteers. An antagonist effect was highlighted between the expression of IFNL3/4 and IFNA1 mRNA among patients. Besides, a prominent production of the pro-inflammatory chemokines CCL4 and CXCL10 was observed at a 12-week treatment follow-up. Lower serum levels of these chemokines were detected in patients with an rs12979860-CC genotype associated with the better treatment outcome. Also, lower expression levels of the IFI6, IFI16, IRF9 genes were observed among rs12979860-CC individuals. In conclusion, a combination of the genotypes at the IFNL3/4 locus can act as a better marker for the prognosis for virological responses in an admixed Brazilian population presenting the modulating effect over innate immunity and inflammation that are controlling the outcome of the viral infection, but also other infectious diseases. This study is registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov platform (accession number NCT01889849 and NCT01623336).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andréa Marques Vieira da Silva
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Tamiris Azamor
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Ribeiro Batista-Silva
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thyago Leal-Calvo
- Departamento de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Ribeiro-Alves
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em DST/AIDS, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Cristina da Costa Neves
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Camilla Bayma
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jane da Silva
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alessandro Fonseca de Souza
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Muller
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elisabete Ferreira de Andrade
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Magalhães Andrade
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eliane Matos dos Santos
- Assessoria Clinica, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Janaína Reis Xavier
- Assessoria Clinica, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria De Lourdes De Sousa Maia
- Assessoria Clinica, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rolando Páez Meireles
- Centro de Investigaciones Clínicas, Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnologia de Cuba, Havana, Cuba
| | - Hugo Nodarse Cuni
- Centro de Investigaciones Clínicas, Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnologia de Cuba, Havana, Cuba
| | - Guilherme Becker Sander
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Paulo Dornelles Picon
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Denise C S Matos
- Departamento de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológico Bio-Manguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Milton Ozório Moraes
- Departamento de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Grimaudo S, Amodio E, Pipitone RM, Maida CM, Pizzo S, Prestileo T, Tramuto F, Sardina D, Vitale F, Casuccio A, Craxì A. PNPLA3 and TLL-1 Polymorphisms as Potential Predictors of Disease Severity in Patients With COVID-19. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:627914. [PMID: 34249902 PMCID: PMC8262646 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.627914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Albeit the pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains unclear, host's genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in infection and reinfection, inflammation, or immune stimulation could play a role in determining the course and outcome. We studied in the early phase of pandemic consecutive patients (N = 383) with SARS-CoV-2 infection, whose subsequent clinical course was classified as mild or severe, the latter being characterized by admission to intensive therapy unit or death. Five host gene polymorphisms (MERTK rs4374383, PNPLA3 rs738409, TLL-1 rs17047200, IFNL3 rs1297860, and INFL4 rs368234815) were assessed by using whole nucleic acids extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs. Specific protease cleavage sites of TLL-1 on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein were predicted in silico. Male subjects and older patients were significantly at higher risk for a severe outcome (p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). By considering patients ≤65 years, after adjusting for potential confounding due to sex, an increased risk of severe outcome was found in subjects with the GG genotype of PNPLA3 (adj-OR: 4.69; 95% CI = 1.01-22.04) or TT genotype of TLL-1 (adj-OR=9.1; 95% CI = 1.45-57.3). In silico evaluation showed that TLL-1 is potentially involved in the Spike protein cleavage which is essential for viral binding and entry into the host cells using the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Subjects carrying a GG genotype in PNPLA3 gene might have a constitutive upregulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and be more prone to tissue damage when infected by SARS-CoV-2. The TT genotype in TLL-1 gene might affect its protease activity on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, enhancing the ability to infect or re-infect host's cells. The untoward effect of these variants on disease course is evident in younger patients due to the relative absence of comorbidities as determinants of prognosis. In the unresolved pathogenetic scenery of COVID-19, the identification of genetic variants associates with more prolonged course or with a severe outcome of infection would support the development of predictive tools useful to stratify subjects by risk class at presentation. Moreover, the individuation of key genes could contribute to a better understanding of the pathways involved in the pathogenesis, giving the basis for rational therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Grimaudo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Emanuele Amodio
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosaria Maria Pipitone
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Carmelo Massimo Maida
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Stefano Pizzo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tullio Prestileo
- Infectious Diseases Unit and Centre for Migration and Health ARNAS, Ospedale Civico Benfratelli, Palermo, Italy
| | - Fabio Tramuto
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Davide Sardina
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Vitale
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Casuccio
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Craxì
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties "G. D'Alessandro" - University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Roy S, Guha Roy D, Bhushan A, Bharatiya S, Chinnaswamy S. Functional genetic variants of the IFN-λ3 (IL28B) gene and transcription factor interactions on its promoter. Cytokine 2021; 142:155491. [PMID: 33725487 PMCID: PMC7611124 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Interferon lambda 3 (IFN-λ3 or IFNL3, formerly IL28B), a type III interferon, modulates immune responses during infection/inflammation. Several human studies have reported an association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the IFNL3 locus with expression level of IFNL3. Previous genetic studies, in the context of hepatitis C virus infections, had predicted three regulatory SNPs: rs4803219, rs28416813 and rs4803217 that could have functional/causal roles. Subsequent studies confirmed this prediction for rs28416813 and rs4803217. A dinucleotide TA-repeat variant (rs72258881) has also been reported to be regulating the IFN-λ3 promoter. In this study, we tested all these genetic variants using a sensitive reporter assay. We show that the minor/ancestral alleles of both rs28416813 and rs4803217, together have a strong inhibitory effect on reporter gene expression. We also show an interaction between the two principal transcription factors regulating IFNL3 promoter: IRF7 and NF-kB RelA/p65. We show that IRF7 and p65 physically interact with each other. By using a transient ChIP assay, we show that presence of p65 increases the promoter occupancy of IRF7, thereby leading to synergistic activation of the IFNL3 promoter. We reason that, in contrast to p65, a unique nature of IRF7 binding to its specific DNA sequence makes it more sensitive to changes in DNA phasing. As a result, we see that IRF7, but not p65-mediated transcriptional activity is affected by the phase changes introduced by the TA-repeat polymorphism. Overall, we see that three genetic variants: rs28416813, rs4803217 and rs72258881 could have functional roles in controlling IFNL3 gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Subhajit Roy
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, P.O.:N.S.S., Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Debarati Guha Roy
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, P.O.:N.S.S., Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Anand Bhushan
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, P.O.:N.S.S., Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Seema Bharatiya
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, P.O.:N.S.S., Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Sreedhar Chinnaswamy
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, P.O.:N.S.S., Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Samayoa-Reyes G, Jackson C, Ogolla S, Sabourin K, Obajemu A, Dent AE, Prokunina-Olsson L, Rochford R. IFN-λ4 genetic variants influence clinical malaria episodes in a cohort of Kenyan children. Malar J 2021; 20:196. [PMID: 33882912 PMCID: PMC8058600 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03689-z] [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: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interferon (IFN)- λ4, a type III IFN, production is controlled by a dinucleotide frameshift variant (rs368234815-dG/TT) within the first exon of the IFNL4 gene. Carriers of the IFNL4-dG allele but not the IFNL4-TT allele are able to produce the IFN-λ4 protein. Patients with hepatitis C virus that do not produce the IFN-λ4 protein have higher rates of viral clearance suggesting a potential inhibitory role of IFN-λ4 in liver-tropic infections. METHODS In this study, it was investigated whether children infected with Plasmodium falciparum, which has a well-characterized liver stage infection, would be more susceptible to clinical malaria relative to their IFNL4-rs368234815 allele. A cohort of 122 children from a malaria holoendemic region of Kenya was analysed. Episodes of clinical malaria and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) were determined using information collected from birth to 2 years of age. The dinucleotide frameshift variant IFNL4-rs368234815-dG/TT was genotyped using a TaqMan assay. RESULTS In this cohort, 33% of the study participants had the dG/dG genotype, 45% had the dG/TT genotype, and 22% had TT/TT genotype. The number and time to first episode of clinical malaria and URTIs with respect to the IFNL4-rs368234815 allele was evaluated. It was found that children that carried the IFNL4-rs368234815-dG allele had an increased number of clinical malaria episodes. In addition, there was a significant association between earlier age of first malaria infection with carriers of the IFNL4-dG allele (p-value: 0.021). CONCLUSION The results suggest that the ability to produce IFN-λ4 negatively affects host immune protection against P. falciparum malaria in Kenyan children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Conner Jackson
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Sidney Ogolla
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Adeola Obajemu
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Arlene E Dent
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ludmilla Prokunina-Olsson
- Laboratory of Translational Genomics, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ansari MA, Marchi E, Ramamurthy N, Aschenbrenner D, Morgan S, Hackstein CP, Lin SK, Bowden R, Sharma E, Pedergnana V, Venkateswaran S, Kugathasan S, Mo A, Gibson G, Cooke GS, McLauchlan J, Baillie JK, Teichmann S, Mentzer A, Knight J, Todd JA, Hinks T, Barnes EJ, Uhlig HH, Klenerman P. In vivo negative regulation of SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, by interferons and its genetic control. Wellcome Open Res 2021. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16559.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a receptor for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and differences in its expression may affect susceptibility to infection. Methods: We performed a genome-wide expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis using hepatitis C virus-infected liver tissue from 190 individuals. Results: We discovered that polymorphism in a type III interferon gene (IFNL4), which eliminates IFN-λ4 production, is associated with a two-fold increase in ACE2 RNA expression. Conversely, among genes negatively correlated with ACE2 expression, IFN-signalling pathways were highly enriched and ACE2 was downregulated after IFN-α treatment. Negative correlation was also found in the gastrointestinal tract where inflammation driven IFN-stimulated genes were negatively correlated with ACE2 expression and in lung tissue from a murine model of SARS-CoV-1 infection suggesting conserved regulation of ACE2 across tissue and species. Conclusions: We conclude that ACE2 is likely a negatively-regulated interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) and carriage of IFNL4 gene alleles which modulates ISGs expression in viral infection may play a role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis with implications for therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
|
19
|
Grzegorzewska AE, Mostowska A, Świderska MK, Marcinkowski W, Stolarek I, Figlerowicz M, Jagodziński PP. Polymorphism rs368234815 of interferon lambda 4 gene and spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus in haemodialysis patients: a case-control study. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:102. [PMID: 33482747 PMCID: PMC7821534 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-05777-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In non-uremic subjects, IFNL4 rs368234815 predicts HCV clearance. We investigated whether rs368234815 is associated with spontaneous HCV clearance in haemodialysis patients and whether it is a stronger predictor of HCV resolution than the IFNL polymorphisms already associated with HCV clearance in dialysis subjects. We also evaluated an association of rs368234815 with patients` survival and alterations in transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) caused by IFNL polymorphisms. METHODS Among 161 haemodialysis patients with positive anti-HCV antibodies, 68 (42.2%) spontaneously resolved HCV infection, whereas 93 remained HCV RNA positive. Patients were tested for near IFNL3 rs12980275, IFNL3 rs4803217, IFNL4 rs12979860, IFNL4 rs368234815, and near IFNL4 rs8099917. IFNL4 rs368234815 polymorphism (TT/TT, ΔG/TT, ΔG/ΔG) was genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis; other IFNL polymorphisms - by high resolution melting curve analysis. We used the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test for survival analysis. In silico analysis included the use of ENCODE TFBS ChIP-seq data, HOCOMOCO, JASPAR CORE, and CIS-BP databases, and FIMO software. RESULTS The probability (OR, 95%CI, P) of spontaneous HCV clearance for rs368234815 TT/TT patients was higher than for the ΔG allele carriers (2.63, 1.38-5.04, 0.003). This probability for other major homozygotes varied between 2.80, 1.45-5.43, 0.002 for rs12980275 and 2.44, 1.27-4.69, 0.007 for rs12979860. In the additive model, rs368234815 TT/TT was the strongest predictor of HCV clearance (6.38, 1.69-24.2, 0.003). Survival analysis suggested an association of the ΔG allele with mortality due to neoplasms (log-rank P = 0.005). The rs368234815 ∆G allele caused TFBS removal for PLAGL1. CONCLUSIONS In haemodialysis patients, the association of rs368234815 with the spontaneous HCV clearance is better than that documented for other IFNL3/IFNL4 polymorphisms only in the additive mode of inheritance. However, identifying the homozygosity in the variant ∆G allele of rs368234815 means a more potent prediction of persistent HCV infection in haemodialysis subjects that we observe in the case of the variant homozygosity of other tested IFNL3/IFNL4 polymorphisms. Removal of PLAGL1 TFBS in subjects harbouring the rs368234815 ∆G allele may contribute to cancer susceptibility. The association of rs368234815 with cancer-related mortality needs further studies in HCV-exposed subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicja E. Grzegorzewska
- Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355 Poznań, Poland
| | - Adrianna Mostowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, Poland
| | - Monika K. Świderska
- Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-355 Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Ireneusz Stolarek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Paweł P. Jagodziński
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święcickiego 6, 60-781 Poznań, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
IFN-λ4 is associated with increased risk and earlier occurrence of several common infections in African children. Genes Immun 2021; 22:44-55. [PMID: 33850301 PMCID: PMC8042471 DOI: 10.1038/s41435-021-00127-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Genetic polymorphisms within the IFNL3/IFNL4 genomic region, which encodes type III interferons, have been strongly associated with clearance of hepatitis C virus. We hypothesized that type III interferons might be important for the immune response to other pathogens as well. In a cohort of 914 Malian children, we genotyped functional variants IFNL4-rs368234815, IFNL4-rs117648444, and IFNL3-rs4803217 and analyzed episodes of malaria, gastrointestinal, and respiratory infections recorded at 30,626 clinic visits from birth up to 5 years of age. Compared to children with the rs368234815-TT/TT genotype (IFN-λ4-Null), rs368234815-dG allele was most strongly associated with an earlier time-to-first episode of gastrointestinal infections (p = 0.003). The risk of experiencing an infection episode during the follow-up was also significantly increased with rs368234815-dG allele, with OR = 1.53, 95%CI (1.13-2.07), p = 0.005 for gastrointestinal infections and OR = 1.30, 95%CI (1.02-1.65), p = 0.033 for malaria. All the associations for the moderately linked rs4803217 (r2 = 0.78 in this set) were weaker and lost significance after adjusting for rs368234815. We also analyzed all outcomes in relation to IFN-λ4-P70S groups. Our results implicate IFN-λ4 and not IFN-λ3 as the primary functional cause of genetic associations with increased overall risk and younger age at first clinical episodes but not with recurrence or intensity of several common pediatric infections.
Collapse
|
21
|
Amodio E, Pipitone RM, Grimaudo S, Immordino P, Maida CM, Prestileo T, Restivo V, Tramuto F, Vitale F, Craxì A, Casuccio A. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load, IFNλ Polymorphisms and the Course of COVID-19: An Observational Study. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E3315. [PMID: 33076493 PMCID: PMC7602550 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9103315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The course of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic to a multiorgan disease. In this observational study, we investigated SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects with defined outcomes, evaluating the relationship between viral load and single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes codifying for IFNλs (interferon). The study enrolled 381 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. For each patient, a standardized form was filled including sociodemographic variables and clinical outcomes. The host's gene polymorphisms (IFNL3 rs1297860 C/T and INFL4 rs368234815 TT/ΔG) and RtReal-Time PCR cycle threshold (PCR Ct) value on SARS-CoV-2 were assessed on nasal, pharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs. Higher viral loads were found in patients aged > 74 years and homozygous mutant polymorphisms DG in IFNL4 (adj-OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.01-1.34 and adj-OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.09-1.40, respectively). After adjusting for age and sex, a statistically significantly lower risk of hospitalization was observed in subjects with higher RtReal-Time PCR cycle threshold values (adj-OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.91, 0.99; p = 0.028). Our data support the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 load and disease severity, and suggest that IFNλ polymorphisms could affect the ability of the host to modulate viral infection without a clear impact on the outcome of COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Amodio
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Rosaria Maria Pipitone
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Stefania Grimaudo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Palmira Immordino
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Carmelo Massimo Maida
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Tullio Prestileo
- Department of Medicine, ARNAS Civico, Unità Operativa Malattie Infettive, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Vincenzo Restivo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Fabio Tramuto
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Francesco Vitale
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Antonio Craxì
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| | - Alessandra Casuccio
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy; (R.M.P.); (S.G.); (P.I.); (C.M.M.); (V.R.); (F.T.); (F.V.); (A.C.); (A.C.)
| |
Collapse
|