Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
COVID-19 presents with a breadth of symptomatology including a spectrum of clinical severity requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We investigated the mucosal host gene response at the time of gold standard COVID-19 diagnosis using clinical surplus RNA from upper respiratory tract swabs.Methods
Host response was evaluated by RNA-sequencing, and transcriptomic profiles of 44 unvaccinated patients including outpatients and in-patients with varying levels of oxygen supplementation were included. Additionally, chest X-rays were reviewed and scored for patients in each group.Results
Host transcriptomics revealed significant changes in the immune and inflammatory response. Patients destined for the ICU were distinguished by the significant upregulation of immune response pathways and inflammatory chemokines, including cxcl2 which has been linked to monocyte subsets associated with COVID-19 related lung damage. In order to temporally associate gene expression profiles in the upper respiratory tract at diagnosis of COVID-19 with lower respiratory tract sequalae, we correlated our findings with chest radiography scoring, showing nasopharygeal or mid-turbinate sampling can be a relevant surrogate for downstream COVID-19 pneumonia/ICU severity.Conclusions
This study demonstrates the potential and relevance for ongoing study of the mucosal site of infection of SARS-CoV-2 using a single sampling that remains standard of care in hospital settings. We highlight also the archival value of high quality clinical surplus specimens, especially with rapidly evolving COVID-19 variants and changing public health/vaccination measures.
SUBMITTER: Kozak RA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10173546 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Kozak Robert A RA Salvant Elsa E Chang Veronica V Oikonomou Anastasia A Biondi Mia J MJ Feld Jordan J JJ Armstrong Susan S Wasif Sumaiyah S Mubareka Samira S Nirmalarajah Kuganya K Seth Arun A Amemiya Yutaka Y Wang Chao C Tsui Hubert H
Open forum infectious diseases 20230413 5
<h4>Background</h4>COVID-19 presents with a breadth of symptomatology including a spectrum of clinical severity requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We investigated the mucosal host gene response at the time of gold standard COVID-19 diagnosis using clinical surplus RNA from upper respiratory tract swabs.<h4>Methods</h4>Host response was evaluated by RNA-sequencing, and transcriptomic profiles of 44 unvaccinated patients including outpatients and in-patients with varying levels of oxyg ...[more]