Differentially expressed plasmatic microRNAs in Brazilian patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): preliminary results.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is known that host microRNAs (miRNAs) can be modulated to favor viral infection or to protect the host. Herein, we report preliminary results of a study aiming at identifying differentially expressed plasmatic miRNAs in Brazilian patients with COVID-19.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

miRNAs were extracted from the plasma of eight patients with COVID-19 (four patients with mild COVID-19 and four patients with severe/critical COVID-19) and four healthy controls. Patients and controls were matched for sex and age. miRNA expression levels were detected using high-throughput sequencing. Differential miRNA expression and enrichment analyses were further evaluated. A total of 18 miRNAs were differentially expressed between patients with COVID-19 and controls. miR-4433b-5p, miR-6780b-3p, miR-6883-3p, miR-320b, miR-7111-3p, miR-4755-3p, miR-320c, and miR-6511a-3p were the most important miRNAs significantly involved in the PI3K/AKT, Wnt/β-catenin, and STAT3 signaling pathways. Moreover, 42 miRNAs were differentially expressed between severe/critical and mild patients with COVID-19. miR-451a, miR-101-3p, miR-185-5p, miR-30d-5p, miR-25-3p, miR-342-3p, miR-30e-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-29c-3p were the most important miRNAs significantly involved in the Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κβ, and STAT3 signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS:

If validated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a larger number of participants, the miRNAs identified in this study might be used as possible biomarkers for the diagnosis and severity of COVID-19.

• Authors: Aline de Souza Nicoletti, Marília Berlofa Visacri, Carla Regina da Silva Correa da Ronda, Pedro Eduardo do Nascimento Silva Vasconcelos, Julia Coelho França Quintanilha, Rafael Nogueira de Souza, Deise de Souza Ventura, Adriana Eguti, Lilian Ferreira de Souza Silva, Mauricio Wesley Perroud Junior, Rodrigo Ramos Catharino, Leonardo Oliveira Reis, Luiz Augusto Dos Santos, Nelson Durán, Wagner José Fávaro, Marcelo Lancellotti, José Luiz da Costa, Patricia Moriel, Eder de Carvalho Pincinato
• Journal: Molecular biology reports (Mol Biol Rep) Vol. 49 Issue 7 Pg. 6931-6943 (Jul 2022) ISSN: 1573-4978 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 35301654 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Chemical References

• MicroRNAs
• beta Catenin

Topics

• Brazil (epidemiology)
• COVID-19 (genetics)
• Gene Expression Profiling (methods)
• Humans
• MicroRNAs (metabolism)
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (genetics)
• SARS-CoV-2
• beta Catenin (genetics)