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Vică ML, Dobreanu M, Curocichin G, Matei HV, Bâlici Ș, Vușcan ME, Chiorean AD, Nicula GZ, Pavel Mironescu DC, Leucuța DC, Teodoru CA, Siserman CV. The Influence of HLA Polymorphisms on the Severity of COVID-19 in the Romanian Population. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1326. [PMID: 38279325 PMCID: PMC10816224 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021326] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to investigate whether specific HLA alleles found in patients from Romania and the Republic of Moldova were associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection and its associated mortality. We analyzed the HLA alleles at the -A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 loci in a cohort of 130 individuals with severe and extremely severe forms of COVID-19, including 44 individuals who died. We compared these findings to a control group consisting of individuals who had either not been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had experienced mild forms of the disease. Using multivariate logistic regression models, we discovered that the B*27 and B*50 alleles were associated with an increased susceptibility to developing a severe form of COVID-19. The A*33 and C*15 alleles showed potential for offering protection against the disease. Furthermore, we identified two protective alleles (A*03 and DQB1*02) against the development of extremely severe forms of COVID-19. By utilizing score statistics, we established a statistically significant association between haplotypes and disease severity (p = 0.021). In summary, this study provides evidence that HLA genotype plays a role in influencing the clinical outcome of COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Laura Vică
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
- Legal Medicine Institute, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Minodora Dobreanu
- Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 540136 Târgu Mureș, Romania;
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania
- Center for Advanced Medical and Pharmaceutical Research, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania
| | - Ghenadie Curocichin
- Department of Family Medicine, “Nicolae Testemițanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, MD-2004 Chișinău, Moldova;
| | - Horea Vladi Matei
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
- Legal Medicine Institute, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Ștefana Bâlici
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
| | - Mihaela Elvira Vușcan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
- Legal Medicine Institute, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Alin Dan Chiorean
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
- Emergency Clinical Hospital for Children, 400370 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gheorghe Zsolt Nicula
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
| | - Daniela Cristina Pavel Mironescu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.L.V.); (Ș.B.); (M.E.V.); (A.D.C.); (G.Z.N.); (D.C.P.M.)
- Legal Medicine Institute, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Daniel Corneliu Leucuța
- Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Cosmin Adrian Teodoru
- Clinical Surgical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 550169 Sibiu, Romania;
| | - Costel Vasile Siserman
- Legal Medicine Institute, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Legal Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Pappas AG, Eleftheriou K, Vlahakos V, Magkouta SF, Riba T, Dede K, Siampani R, Kompogiorgas S, Polydora E, Papalampidou A, Loutsidi NE, Mantas N, Tavernaraki E, Exarchos D, Kalomenidis I. High Plasma Osteopontin Levels Are Associated with Serious Post-Acute-COVID-19-Related Dyspnea. J Clin Med 2024; 13:392. [PMID: 38256526 PMCID: PMC10816040 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13020392] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 survivors commonly report persistent symptoms. In this observational study, we investigated the link between osteopontin (OPN) and post-acute COVID-19 symptoms and lung functional/imaging abnormalities. We recorded symptoms and lung imaging/functional data from previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients, who were followed for 4-84 weeks (122 patients/181 visits) post-symptom onset at our outpatient clinic. Circulating OPN was determined using ELISA. Plasma OPN levels were higher in symptomatic patients (compared with the asymptomatic ones); those with dyspnea (compared with those without dyspnea);those with a combination of serious symptoms, i.e., the presence of at least one of the following: dyspnea, fatigue and muscular weakness (compared with those with none of these symptoms); and those with dyspnea and m-MRC > 1 (compared with those with m-MRC = 0-1). Plasma OPN levels were inversely correlated with EQ-VAS (visual analog scale of the EQ-5D-5L health-related quality-of-life questionnaire) values. High-resolution CT or diffusion lung capacity (DLCO) findings were not related to circulating OPN. In the multiple logistic regression, the presence of symptoms, dyspnea, or the combination of serious symptoms were linked to female gender, increased BMI and pre-existing dyspnea (before the acute disease), while increased plasma OPN levels, female gender and pre-existing dyspnea with m-MRC > 1 were independently associated with severe post-COVID-19 dyspnea (m-MRC > 1). Using a correlation matrix to investigate multiple correlations between EQ-VAS, OPN and epidemiological data, we observed an inverse correlation between the OPN and EQ-VAS values. Increased circulating OPN was linked to the persistence of severe exertional dyspnea and impaired quality of life in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos G. Pappas
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Konstantinos Eleftheriou
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Vassilios Vlahakos
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Sophia F. Magkouta
- “Marianthi Simou Laboratory”, First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Theofani Riba
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Konstantina Dede
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Rafaela Siampani
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Steven Kompogiorgas
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece
| | - Eftychia Polydora
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Athanasia Papalampidou
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
| | - Natasa-Eleni Loutsidi
- Hematology—Lymphomas Department and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece;
| | - Nikolaos Mantas
- Department of CT-MRI, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece (D.E.)
| | | | - Demetrios Exarchos
- Department of CT-MRI, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, 10676 Athens, Greece (D.E.)
| | - Ioannis Kalomenidis
- First Department of Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, “Evangelismos” General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece (T.R.); (K.D.); (A.P.); (I.K.)
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Bergersen KV, Pham K, Li J, Ulrich MT, Merrill P, He Y, Alaama S, Qiu X, Harahap-Carrillo IS, Ichii K, Frost S, Kaul M, Godzik A, Heinrich EC, Nair MG. Health disparities in COVID-19: immune and vascular changes are linked to disease severity and persist in a high-risk population in Riverside County, California. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1584. [PMID: 37598150 PMCID: PMC10439554 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16462-5] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health disparities in underserved communities, such as inadequate healthcare access, impact COVID-19 disease outcomes. These disparities are evident in Hispanic populations nationwide, with disproportionately high infection and mortality rates. Furthermore, infected individuals can develop long COVID with sustained impacts on quality of life. The goal of this study was to identify immune and endothelial factors that are associated with COVID-19 outcomes in Riverside County, a high-risk and predominantly Hispanic community, and investigate the long-term impacts of COVID-19 infection. METHODS 112 participants in Riverside County, California, were recruited according to the following criteria: healthy control (n = 23), outpatients with moderate infection (outpatient, n = 33), ICU patients with severe infection (hospitalized, n = 33), and individuals recovered from moderate infection (n = 23). Differences in outcomes between Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals and presence/absence of co-morbidities were evaluated. Circulating immune and vascular biomarkers were measured by ELISA, multiplex analyte assays, and flow cytometry. Follow-up assessments for long COVID, lung health, and immune and vascular changes were conducted after recovery (n = 23) including paired analyses of the same participants. RESULTS Compared to uninfected controls, the severe infection group had a higher proportion of Hispanic individuals (n = 23, p = 0.012) than moderate infection (n = 8, p = 0.550). Disease severity was associated with changes in innate monocytes and neutrophils, lymphopenia, disrupted cytokine production (increased IL-8 and IP-10/CXCL10 but reduced IFNλ2/3 and IFNγ), and increased endothelial injury (myoglobin, VCAM-1). In the severe infection group, a machine learning model identified LCN2/NGAL, IL-6, and monocyte activation as parameters associated with fatality while anti-coagulant therapy was associated with survival. Recovery from moderate COVID infection resulted in long-term immune changes including increased monocytes/lymphocytes and decreased neutrophils and endothelial markers. This group had a lower proportion of co-morbidities (n = 8, p = 1.0) but still reported symptoms associated with long COVID despite recovered pulmonary function. CONCLUSION This study indicates increased severity of COVID-19 infection in Hispanic individuals of Riverside County, California. Infection resulted in immunological and vascular changes and long COVID symptoms that were sustained for up to 11 months, however, lung volume and airflow resistance was recovered. Given the immune and behavioral impacts of long COVID, the potential for increased susceptibility to infections and decreased quality of life in high-risk populations warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina V Bergersen
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Kathy Pham
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Jiang Li
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Michael T Ulrich
- Riverside University Health System Medical Center, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Patrick Merrill
- Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Yuxin He
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Sumaya Alaama
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Xinru Qiu
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Indira S Harahap-Carrillo
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Keita Ichii
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Shyleen Frost
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Marcus Kaul
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Adam Godzik
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S
| | - Erica C Heinrich
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S..
| | - Meera G Nair
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, U.S..
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Li C, Wang C, Xie HY, Huang L. Cell-Based Biomaterials for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Prevention and Therapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300404. [PMID: 36977465 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300404] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to threaten human health, economic development, and national security. Although many vaccines and drugs have been explored to fight against the major pandemic, their efficacy and safety still need to be improved. Cell-based biomaterials, especially living cells, extracellular vesicles, and cell membranes, offer great potential in preventing and treating COVID-19 owing to their versatility and unique biological functions. In this review, the characteristics and functions of cell-based biomaterials and their biological applications in COVID-19 prevention and therapy are described. First the pathological features of COVID-19 are summarized, providing enlightenment on how to fight against COVID-19. Next, the classification, organization structure, characteristics, and functions of cell-based biomaterials are focused on. Finally, the progress of cell-based biomaterials in overcoming COVID-19 in different aspects, including the prevention of viral infection, inhibition of viral proliferation, anti-inflammation, tissue repair, and alleviation of lymphopenia are comprehensively described. At the end of this review, a look forward to the challenges of this aspect is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuyu Li
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China
| | - Chenguang Wang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China
| | - Hai-Yan Xie
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China
| | - Lili Huang
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China
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Hamza S, Martynova E, Garanina E, Shakirova V, Bilalova A, Moiseeva S, Khaertynova I, Ohlopkova O, Blatt N, Markelova M, Khaiboullina S. Neutralizing Antibodies in COVID-19 Serum from Tatarstan, Russia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10181. [PMID: 37373331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The severity of COVID-19 is a result of the complex interplay between various branches of the immune system. However, our understanding of the role of neutralizing antibodies and the activation of cellular immune response in COVID-19 pathogenesis remains limited. In this study, we investigated neutralizing antibodies in patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, analyzing their cross-reactivity with the Wuhan and Omicron variants. We also assessed the activation of the immune response by measuring serum cytokines in patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19. Our findings suggest the early activation of neutralizing antibodies in moderate COVID-19 compared to mild cases. We also observed a strong correlation between the cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibodies to the Omicron and Wuhan variants and the severity of the disease. In addition, we found that Th1 lymphocyte activation was present in mild and moderate cases, while inflammasomes and Th17 lymphocytes were activated in severe COVID-19. In conclusion, our data indicate that the early activation of neutralizing antibodies is evident in moderate COVID-19, and there is a strong correlation between the cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibodies and the severity of the disease. Our findings suggest that the Th1 immune response may play a protective role, while inflammasome and Th17 activation may be involved in severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaimaa Hamza
- OpenLab "Gene and Cell Technologies", Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Martynova
- OpenLab "Gene and Cell Technologies", Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Garanina
- OpenLab "Gene and Cell Technologies", Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Venera Shakirova
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kazan State Medical Academy, 420012 Kazan, Russia
| | - Alisa Bilalova
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kazan State Medical Academy, 420012 Kazan, Russia
| | - Svetlana Moiseeva
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kazan State Medical Academy, 420012 Kazan, Russia
| | - Ilsiyar Khaertynova
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kazan State Medical Academy, 420012 Kazan, Russia
| | - Olesia Ohlopkova
- State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology «Vector» of Rospotrebnadzor, 630559 Koltsovo, Russia
| | - Nataliya Blatt
- OpenLab "Gene and Cell Technologies", Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Maria Markelova
- OpenLab "Gene and Cell Technologies", Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
| | - Svetlana Khaiboullina
- OpenLab "Gene and Cell Technologies", Kazan Federal University, 420021 Kazan, Russia
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