Proteomic profiling identifies novel proteins for genetic risk of severe COVID-19: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

TYK2, IFITM3, IFNAR2 and OAS3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms among severe COVID-19 ICU patients in Morocco

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the potential correlation between specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (TYK2, IFITM3, IFNAR2, and OAS3 variants) and the severity of COVID-19 in Moroccan patients.

METHODS

A genetic analysis was conducted on 109 patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Morocco. Among these patients, 46% were hospitalized in the intensive care unit, while 59% were not hospitalized. Importantly, all patients lacked known risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity. Genotyping was performed to identify variations in TYK2 rs74956615, IFITM3 rs12252, IFNAR2 rs2236757, and OAS3 rs10735079. Statistical analysis was applied using codominant, dominant and recessive logistic regression models to assess correlations with COVID-19 severity.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed no significant correlation between TYK2 rs74956615, IFITM3 rs12252, IFNAR2 rs2236757, and OAS3 rs10735079 with COVID-19 severity in Moroccan patients, as indicated in logistic regression models (p > .05). Interestingly, these results may offer insights into the mitigated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduced severity observed in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in Morocco. Age, however, exhibited a significant correlation with severity (p < .001), with a trend towards increased likelihood of ICU admission with advancing age. Additionally, In the severe group, a higher proportion of patients were females (54%), indicating a statistically significant correlation with disease severity (p = .04). Nevertheless, female ICU patients aged above 60 years accounted for 37%, compared to 17% for males.

CONCLUSION

This study underscores the absence of a genetic association between the selected polymorphisms and COVID-19 severity in Moroccan patients. Advanced age emerges as the primary factor influencing the severity of COVID-19 patients without comorbidities. We recommend setting the threshold for advanced age at 60 years as a risk factor for severe forms of COVID-19.

The SLC6A15-SLC6A20 Neutral Amino Acid Transporter Subfamily: Functions, Diseases, and Their Therapeutic Relevance

The neutral amino acid transporter subfamily that consists of six members, consecutively SLC6A15-SLC620, also called orphan transporters, represents membrane, sodium-dependent symporter proteins that belong to the family of solute carrier 6 (SLC6). Primarily, they mediate the transport of neutral amino acids from the extracellular milieu toward cell or storage vesicles utilizing an electric membrane potential as the driving force. Orphan transporters are widely distributed throughout the body, covering many systems; for instance, the central nervous, renal, or intestinal system, supplying cells into molecules used in biochemical, signaling, and building pathways afterward. They are responsible for intestinal absorption and renal reabsorption of amino acids. In the central nervous system, orphan transporters constitute a significant medium for the provision of neurotransmitter precursors. Diseases related with aforementioned transporters highlight their significance; SLC6A19 mutations are associated with metabolic Hartnup disorder, whereas altered expression of SLC6A15 has been associated with a depression/stress-related disorders. Mutations of SLC6A18-SLCA20 cause iminoglycinuria and/or hyperglycinuria. SLC6A18-SLC6A20 to reach the cellular membrane require an ancillary unit ACE2 that is a molecular target for the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. SLC6A19 has been proposed as a molecular target for the treatment of metabolic disorders resembling gastric surgery bypass. Inhibition of SLC6A15 appears to have a promising outcome in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. SLC6A19 and SLC6A20 have been suggested as potential targets in the treatment of COVID-19. In this review, we gathered recent advances on orphan transporters, their structure, functions, related disorders, and diseases, and in particular their relevance as therapeutic targets. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The following review systematizes current knowledge about the SLC6A15-SLCA20 neutral amino acid transporter subfamily and their therapeutic relevance in the treatment of different diseases.

The Relationship between COVID-19 Severity in Children and Immunoregulatory Gene Polymorphism

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its outcomes remain one of the most challenging problems today. COVID-19 in children could be asymptomatic, but can result in a fatal outcome; therefore, predictions of the disease severity are important. The goal was to investigate the human genetic factors that could be associated with COVID-19 severity in children. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the following genes were studied: ACE2 (rs2074192), IFNAR2 (rs2236757), TYK2 (rs2304256), OAS1 (rs10774671), OAS3 (rs10735079), CD40 (rs4813003), FCGR2A (rs1801274) and CASP3 (rs113420705). In the case-control study were 30 children with mild or moderate course of the disease; 30 with severe COVID-19 symptoms and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and 15 who were healthy, and who did not have SARS-CoV-2 (PCR negative, Ig G negative). The study revealed that ACE2 rs2074192 (allele T), IFNAR2 rs2236757 (allele A), OAS1 rs10774671 (allele A), CD40 rs4813003 (allele C), CASP3 rs113420705 (allele C) and male sex contribute to severe COVID-19 course and MIS-C in 85.6% of cases. The World Health Organization reported that new SARS-CoV-2 variants may cause previously unseen symptoms in children. Although the study has limitations due to cohort size, the findings can help provide a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection and proactive pediatric patient management.

Role of OAS gene family in COVID-19 induced heart failure

BACKGROUND

COVID-19, the current global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, can damage the heart and lead to heart failure (HF) and even cardiac death. The 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) gene family encode interferon (IFN)-induced antiviral proteins which is associated with the antiviral immune responses of COVID-19. While the potential association of OAS gene family with cardiac injury and failure in COVID-19 has not been determined.

METHODS

The expression levels and biological functions of OAS gene family in SARS-CoV-2 infected cardiomyocytes dataset (GSE150392) and HF dataset (GSE120852) were determined by comprehensive bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation. The associated microRNAs (miRNAs) were explored from Targetscan and GSE104150. The potential OAS gene family-regulatory chemicals or ingredients were predicted using Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) and SymMap database.

RESULTS

The OAS genes were highly expressed in both SARS-CoV-2 infected cardiomyocytes and failing hearts. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two datasets were enriched in both cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 related pathways. The miRNAs-target analysis indicated that 10 miRNAs could increase the expression of OAS genes. A variety of chemicals or ingredients were predicted regulating the expression of OAS gene family especially estradiol.

CONCLUSION

OAS gene family is an important mediator of HF in COVID-19 and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for cardiac injury and HF in COVID-19.

Genetic Ethnic Differences in Human 2'-5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase and Disease Associations: A Systematic Review

Recently, several studies have highlighted a skewed prevalence of infectious diseases within the African continent. Furthermore, a growing number of studies have demonstrated unique genetic variants found within the African genome are one of the contributing factors to the disease severity of infectious diseases within Africa. Understanding the host genetic mechanisms that offer protection against infectious diseases provides an opportunity to develop unique therapeutic interventions. Over the past two decades, several studies have linked the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) family with a range of infectious diseases. More recently, the OAS-1 gene has also been associated with disease severity caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which led to a global pandemic. The OAS family serves as an antiviral factor through the interaction with Ribonuclease-Latent (RNase-L). This review explores the genetic variants observed within the OAS genes and the associations with various viral infections and how previously reported ethnic-specific polymorphisms drive clinical significance. This review provides an overview of OAS genetic association studies with a particular focus on viral diseases affecting individuals of African descent.

ABO rs657152 and Blood Groups Are as Predictor Factors of COVID-19 Mortality in the Iranian Population

Several studies have discovered a relationship between specific blood types, genetic variations of the ABO gene, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ABO rs657152 polymorphisms and ABO blood groups with COVID-19 mortality. The tetraprimer amplification refractory mutation system, polymerase chain reaction method, was used for ABO rs657152 polymorphism genotyping in 1,211 dead and 1,442 improved patients. In the current study, the frequency of ABO rs657152 AA than CC genotypes was significantly higher in dead patients than in improved patients. Our findings indicated that blood type A was associated with the highest risk of COVID-19 mortality compared to other blood groups, and patients with blood type O have a lower risk of infection, suggesting that blood type O may be a protective factor against COVID-19 mortality. Multivariate logistic regression test indicated that higher COVID-19 mortality rates were linked with alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, high density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, fasting blood glucose, uric acid, creatinine, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, real-time PCR Ct values, ABO blood groups, and ABO rs657152 AA genotype. In conclusion, the AA genotype of ABO rs657152 and blood type A were associated with a considerably increased frequency of COVID-19 mortality. Further research is necessary to validate the obtained results.

Genetics of COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review

COVID‐19 and ME/CFS present with some similar symptoms, especially physical and mental fatigue. In order to understand the basis of these similarities and the possibility of underlying common genetic components, we performed a systematic review of all published genetic association and cohort studies regarding COVID‐19 and ME/CFS and extracted the genes along with the genetic variants investigated. We then performed gene ontology and pathway analysis of those genes that gave significant results in the individual studies to yield functional annotations of the studied genes using protein analysis through evolutionary relationships (PANTHER) VERSION 17.0 software. Finally, we identified the common genetic components of these two conditions. Seventy‐one studies for COVID‐19 and 26 studies for ME/CFS were included in the systematic review in which the expression of 97 genes for COVID‐19 and 429 genes for ME/CFS were significantly affected. We found that ACE, HLA‐A, HLA‐C, HLA‐DQA1, HLA‐DRB1, and TYK2 are the common genes that gave significant results. The findings of the pathway analysis highlight the contribution of inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signaling pathways, and the T cell activation and Toll receptor signaling pathways. Protein class analysis revealed the contribution of defense/immunity proteins, as well as protein‐modifying enzymes. Our results suggest that the pathogenesis of both syndromes could involve some immune dysfunction.