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Ziegler CGK, Owings AH, Galeas-Pena M, Kazer SW, Miao VN, Navia AW, Tang Y, Bromley JD, Lotfy P, Sloan M, Laird H, Williams HB, George M, Drake RS, Pride Y, Abraham GE, Senitko M, Robinson TO, Diamond G, Lionakis MS, Shalek AK, Ordovas-Montanes J, Horwitz BH, Glover SC. An enhanced IL17 and muted type I interferon nasal epithelial cell state characterizes severe COVID-19 with fungal coinfection. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0351623. [PMID: 38687064 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03516-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent case reports and epidemiological data suggest that fungal infections represent an underappreciated complication among people with severe COVID-19. However, the frequency of fungal colonization in patients with COVID-19 and associations with specific immune responses in the airways remain incompletely defined. We previously generated a single-cell RNA-sequencing data set characterizing the upper respiratory microenvironment during COVID-19 and mapped the relationship between disease severity and the local behavior of nasal epithelial cells and infiltrating immune cells. Our previous study, in agreement with findings from related human cohorts, demonstrated that a profound deficiency in host immunity, particularly in type I and type III interferon signaling in the upper respiratory tract, is associated with rapid progression to severe disease and worse clinical outcomes. We have now performed further analysis of this cohort and identified a subset of participants with severe COVID-19 and concurrent detection of Candida species-derived transcripts within samples collected from the nasopharynx and trachea. Here, we present the clinical characteristics of these individuals. Using matched single-cell transcriptomic profiles of these individuals' respiratory mucosa, we identify epithelial immune signatures suggestive of IL17 stimulation and anti-fungal immunity. Further, we observe a significant expression of anti-fungal inflammatory cascades in the nasal and tracheal epithelium of all participants who went on to develop severe COVID-19, even among participants without detectable genetic material from fungal pathogens. Together, our data suggest that IL17 stimulation-in part driven by Candida colonization-and blunted interferon signaling represent a common feature of severe COVID-19 infection. IMPORTANCE In this paper, we present an analysis suggesting that symptomatic and asymptomatic fungal coinfections can impact patient disease progression during COVID-19 hospitalization. By looking into the presence of other pathogens and their effect on the host immune response during COVID-19 hospitalizations, we aim to offer insight into an underestimated scenario, furthering our current knowledge of determinants of severity that could be considered for future diagnostic and intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly G K Ziegler
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anna H Owings
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Michelle Galeas-Pena
- Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Samuel W Kazer
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vincent N Miao
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew W Navia
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ying Tang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joshua D Bromley
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter Lotfy
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Meredith Sloan
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Hannah Laird
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Haley B Williams
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Micayla George
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Riley S Drake
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yilianys Pride
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - George E Abraham
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Michal Senitko
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Tanya O Robinson
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Gill Diamond
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alex K Shalek
- Program in Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School & MIT, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jose Ordovas-Montanes
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bruce H Horwitz
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah C Glover
- Division of Digestive Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
- Center for Immunology and Microbial Research, Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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Móvio MI, de Almeida GWC, Martines IDGL, Barros de Lima G, Sasaki SD, Kihara AH, Poole E, Nevels M, Carlan da Silva MC. SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 as a Modulator of Cytokine Induction: Evidence and Search for Molecular Mechanisms. Viruses 2024; 16:161. [PMID: 38275971 PMCID: PMC10819295 DOI: 10.3390/v16010161] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection are characterized by an immune response that leads to the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, resulting in lung damage, cardiovascular symptoms, hematologic symptoms, acute kidney injury and multiple organ failure that can lead to death. This remarkable increase in cytokines and other inflammatory molecules is primarily caused by viral proteins, and particular interest has been given to ORF8, a unique accessory protein specific to SARS-CoV-2. Despite plenty of research, the precise mechanisms by which ORF8 induces proinflammatory cytokines are not clear. Our investigations demonstrated that ORF8 augments production of IL-6 induced by Poly(I:C) in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mono-DCs). We discuss our findings and the multifaceted roles of ORF8 as a modulator of cytokine response, focusing on type I interferon and IL-6, a key component of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we explore the hypothesis that ORF8 may act through pattern recognition receptors of dsRNA such as TLRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marília Inês Móvio
- Laboratório de Neurogenética, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (M.I.M.)
| | - Giovana Waner Carneiro de Almeida
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do UFABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (G.W.C.d.A.); (G.B.d.L.); (S.D.S.)
| | - Isabella das Graças Lopes Martines
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do UFABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (G.W.C.d.A.); (G.B.d.L.); (S.D.S.)
| | - Gilmara Barros de Lima
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do UFABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (G.W.C.d.A.); (G.B.d.L.); (S.D.S.)
| | - Sergio Daishi Sasaki
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do UFABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (G.W.C.d.A.); (G.B.d.L.); (S.D.S.)
| | - Alexandre Hiroaki Kihara
- Laboratório de Neurogenética, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (M.I.M.)
| | - Emma Poole
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, Cambridge University, Level 5, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Michael Nevels
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK;
| | - Maria Cristina Carlan da Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do UFABC (UFABC), São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil; (G.W.C.d.A.); (G.B.d.L.); (S.D.S.)
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Awad AM, Hansen K, Del Rio D, Flores D, Barghash RF, Kakkola L, Julkunen I, Awad K. Insights into COVID-19: Perspectives on Drug Remedies and Host Cell Responses. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1452. [PMID: 37892134 PMCID: PMC10604481 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, ongoing research has centered on minimizing viral spread either by stopping viral entry or inhibiting viral replication. Repurposing antiviral drugs, typically nucleoside analogs, has proven successful at inhibiting virus replication. This review summarizes current information regarding coronavirus classification and characterization and presents the broad clinical consequences of SARS-CoV-2 activation of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expressed in different human cell types. It provides publicly available knowledge on the chemical nature of proposed therapeutics and their target biomolecules to assist in the identification of potentially new drugs for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M. Awad
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Kamryn Hansen
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Diana Del Rio
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Derek Flores
- Department of Chemistry, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Reham F. Barghash
- Institute of Chemical Industries Research, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
| | - Laura Kakkola
- Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Ilkka Julkunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
- Clinical Microbiology, Turku University Hospital, 20521 Turku, Finland
| | - Kareem Awad
- Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
- Department of Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Drug Industries Research, National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
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