An herbal medicine-based formula affected the epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B, genes expression.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a threat on the fatal ARDS with an incidence rate of 41.8%, or irreversible pulmonary fibrosis, without specific effective therapeutic drugs. The infection causes dysregulation of the immune system with a cytokine storm in lung tissue. To define the drug candidate of Virofree to COVID-19 induced-ARDS, we treated 66.67 ug/ml and 500 ug/ml in epithelial cell line, BEAS-2B, and compared the PBS control group to obtain Virofree expression profiles.
Project description:The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common complications of severe COVID-19 and contributes to patient morbidity and mortality. ARDS is a heterogeneous syndrome caused by various insults, and results in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Patients with ARDS from COVID-19 may represent a subgroup of ARDS patients with distinct molecular profiles that drive disease outcomes. Here, we hypothesized that longitudinal transcriptomic analysis may identify distinct dynamic pathobiological pathways during COVID-19 ARDS. We identified a patient cohort from an existing ICU biorepository and established three groups for comparison: 1) patients with COVID-19 ARDS that survived hospitalization (COVID survivors, n = 4), 2) patients with COVID-19 ARDS that did not survive hospitalization (COVID non-survivors, n = 5), and 3) patients with ARDS from other causes as a control group (ARDS controls, n = 4). RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at 4 time points (Days 1, 3, 7, and 10 following ICU admission) and prepared for RNA sequencing with rRNA depletion and library generation for Illumina. An Illumina NovaSeq X Plus instrument was used to generate 150 base pair paired-end reads, which were aligned to the hg GRCh38.96 reference genome using HiSAT2. Differential expression analysis was performed with DESeq2.
Project description:While critical for host defense, innate immune cells are also pathologic drivers of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Innate immune dynamics during COVID-19 ARDS, compared to ARDS from other respiratory pathogens, is unclear. Moreover, mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of dexamethasone during severe COVID-19 remain elusive. Using scRNA-seq and plasma proteomics, we discovered that compared to bacterial ARDS, COVID-19 was associated with expansion of distinct neutrophil states characterized by interferon (IFN) and prostaglandin (PG) signalling. Dexamethasone during severe COVID-19 depleted circulating neutrophils, altered IFNactive neutrophils, downregulated interferon-stimulated gene, and activated IL1R2+ve neutrophils. Dexamethasone also expanded immunosuppressive immature neutrophils and remodeled cellular interactions by changing neutrophils from information receivers into information providers. Male patients had higher proportions of IFNactive neutrophils, preferential steroid-induced immature neutrophil expansion, and possibly different effects on outcome. Our single-cell atlas (www.biernaskielab.ca/COVID_neutrophil) defines COVID-19-enriched neutrophil states and molecular mechanisms of dexamethasone action to develop targeted immunotherapies for severe COVID-19.
Project description:Background: COVID-19 and sepsis represent formidable public health challenges, characterized by incompletely elucidated molecular mechanisms. Elucidating the interplay between COVID-19 and sepsis, particularly in geriatric patients suffering from sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is of paramount importance for identifying potential therapeutic interventions to mitigate hospitalization and mortality risks.We employed bioinformatics and systems biology approaches to identify hub genes, shared pathways, molecular biomarkers, and candidate therapeutics for managing COVID-19, sepsis, and sepsis-induced ARDS. We corroborated these hub genes utilizing murine sepsis-ARDS models and blood samples derived from geriatric patients afflicted by sepsis-induced ARDS.Results: Our investigation revealed 189 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) shared among COVID-19 and sepsis datasets. We constructed a protein-protein interaction network, unearthing pivotal hub genes and modules. Notably, nine hub genes displayed significant alterations and correlations with critical inflammatory mediators of pulmonary injury in murine septic lungs. Simultaneously, 12 displayed significant changes and correlations with a neutrophil-recruiting chemokine in geriatric patients with sepsis-induced ARDS. Of these, six hub genes (CD247, CD2, CD40LG, KLRB1, LCN2, RETN) showed significant alterations across COVID-19, sepsis, and geriatric sepsis-induced ARDS. Our single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of hub genes across 3 diverse immune cell types furnished insights into disease pathogenesis. Functional analysis underscored the interconnection between sepsis/sepsis-ARDS and COVID-19, enabling us to pinpoint potential therapeutic targets, transcription factor-gene interactions, DEG-microRNA co-regulatory networks, and prospective drug and chemical compound interactions involving hub genes.Our investigation offers potential therapeutic targets/biomarkers, sheds light on the immune response in geriatric patients with sepsis-induced ARDS, emphasizes the association between sepsis/sepsis-ARDS and COVID-19, and proposes novel avenues for targeted therapies.
Project description:Background: COVID-19 has infected more than 100-million worldwide. Children appear less susceptible to COVID-19 and present with milder symptoms. Cases of children with COVID-19 developing clinical features of Kawasaki-disease have been described. Methods: We utilised SWATH-MS proteomics to determine the plasma proteins expressed in healthy children, children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) and children with COVID-19 induced ARDS. Pathway analyses were performed to determine the affected pathways. Results: 76 proteins were differentially expressed across the groups, with 85 and 52 proteins specific to MIS-C and COVID-19 ARDS. Complement and coagulation activation were implicated in these clinical phenotypes, however there was contribution of FcGR and BCR activation in MIS-C and scavenging of heme and retinoid metabolism in COVID-19 ARDS. Conclusions: We show proteome differences in MIS-C and COVID-ARDS, although both show complement and coagulation dysregulation. The results may be helpful in developing therapeutic targets that could improve the outcomes for these children.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has reached 5.5 million deaths worldwide, causing a huge impact globally. This highly contagious viral infection produces a severe acute respiratory syndrome that includes cough, mucus, fever and pneumonia. Likewise, many hospitalized patients develop severe pneumonia associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), besides an exacerbated and uncontrolled systemic inflammation which in some cases induce lethal cytokine storm. Although vaccines have clearly had a beneficial effect on disease development, there is still a high percentage of patients who develop pathology related to ineffective immune system response. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the modulatory mechanisms that regulate the response to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial to find effective therapeutic alternatives. Previous studies describe the relevance of Neddylation in immune system activation further its implications in viral infection. In this context, the present study postulates Neddylation, a reversible ubiquitin-like post-translational modification of proteins and controls their stability, localization and activity, as a key regulator in the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. For the first time, we describe an increase of serum global neddylation levels of COVID-19 patients particularly associated in the early response of the infection. In addition, the results showed that overactivation of neddylation control activation, proliferation, and response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from COVID-19 patients. Inhibition of neddylation and subsequent avoidance of activation of PBMCs, which reduces cytokine production and proteome modulation, may therefore be a critical mechanism and an efficient therapeutic approach to immunomodulate COVID -19 patients and avoid the much-feared cytokine storm.
Project description:Aims: SARS-CoV-2 infection causes COVID-19, which in severe cases evokes life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Transcriptome signatures and the functional relevance of non-vascular cell types (e.g. immune and epithelial cells) in COVID-19 are becoming increasingly evident. However, despite its known contribution to vascular inflammation, recruitment/invasion of immune cells, vascular leakage and perturbed hemostasis in the lungs of severe COVID-19 patients, an in-depth interrogation of the endothelial cell (EC) compartment in lethal COVID-19 is lacking. Moreover, progressive fibrotic lung disease represents one of the complications of COVID-19 pneumonia and ARDS. Analogous features between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and COVID-19 suggest partial similarities in their pathophysiology, yet, a head-to-head comparison of pulmonary cell transcriptomes between both conditions has not been implemented to date.
Project description:Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe critical condition with a high mortality that is currently in focus given that it is associated with mortality caused by coronavirus induced disease 2019 (COVID-19). Neutrophils play a key role in the lung injury characteristic of non-COVID-19 ARDS and there is also accumulating evidence of neutrophil mediated lung injury in patients who succumb to infection with SARS-CoV-2. We undertook a functional proteomic and metabolomic survey of circulating neutrophil populations, comparing patients with COVID-19 ARDS and non-COVID-19 ARDS to understand the molecular basis of neutrophil dysregulation. Expansion of the circulating neutrophil compartment and the presence of activated low and normal density mature and immature neutrophil populations occurs in ARDS, irrespective of cause. Release of neutrophil granule proteins, neutrophil activation of the clotting cascade and upregulation of the Mac-1 platelet binding complex with formation of neutrophil platelet aggregates is exaggerated in COVID-19 ARDS. Importantly, activation of components of the neutrophil type I interferon responses is seen in ARDS following infection with SARS-CoV-2, with associated rewiring of neutrophil metabolism to promote glutamine utilisation, and the upregulation of antigen processing and presentation. Whilst dexamethasone treatment constricts the immature low density neutrophil population it does not impact upon prothrombotic hyperinflammatory neutrophil signatures.
Project description:COVID-19 has posed a significant threat to global health. Early data has revealed that IL-6, a key regulatory cytokine, plays an important role in the cytokine storm of COVID-19. Multiple trials are therefore looking at the effects of Tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor antibody that inhibits IL-6 activity, on treatment of COVID-19, with promising findings. As part of a clinical trial looking at the effects of Tocilizumab treatment on kidney transplant recipients with subclinical rejection, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of comparing stimulated PBMCs before and after Tocilizumab treatment. We leveraged this data to create an in vitro cytokine storm model, to better understand the effects of Tocilizumab in the presence of inflammation. Tocilizumab-treated cells had reduced expression of inflammatory-mediated genes and biologic pathways, particularly amongst monocytes. These results support the hypothesis that Tocilizumab may hinder the cytokine storm of COVID-19, through a demonstration of biologic impact at the single-cell level.
Project description:The disease caused by the novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality world-wide. A systemic hyper-inflammation characterizes the severe COVID-19 disease often associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Bloodbiomarkers with prognostic relevance are of great importance in effective triage and critical care of severe COVID-19 patients. In the present study we report higher plasma abundance of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (sUPAR), shown to be expressed by an abnormally expanded circulating myeloid cell population, in severe COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. SUPAR level was found to be linked to a characteristic proteomic signature of plasma. A receiver operator characteristics curve analysis identified a cut-off value of sUPAR at 2000pg/ml, which was linked to characteristic differential expression in the immune transcriptome as well as clinical outcomes in our patient cohort. Thus we identified sUPAR as a biomarker with strong predictive potential for clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19.
Project description:The clinical manifestations of SARS-Co-2 infection vary widely, from asymptomatic infection to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. The host response elicited by SARS-CoV-2 plays a key role in determining the clinical outcome. We hypothesized that determining the dynamic whole blood transcriptomic profile of adult patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and characterizing the subgroup that develops severe disease and ARDS would broaden our understanding of the heterogeneity in clinical outcomes. We recruited 60 hospitalized patients with microbiology-confirmed COVID-19, among whom 19 developed ARDS. Peripheral blood was collected using PAXGene RNA tubes within 24 hours of admission and at day 7. There were 2150 differently expressed genes in patients with ARDS at baseline, and 1963 at day 7. We found a dysregulated inflammatory response in COVID-19 ARDS patients, with an increased expression of genes related to pro-inflammatory molecules and neutrophil and macrophage activation at admission, in addition to the loss of immune regulation. This led in turn to a higher expression of genes related to reactive oxygen species, protein polyubiquitination, and metalloproteinases in latter stages. Some of the most significant differences in gene expression found between patients with and without ARDS corresponded to long non-coding RNA involved in epigenetic control.