Cell-free DNA tissues of origin by methylation profiling reveals significant cell, tissue, and organ-specific injury related to COVID-19 severity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects the lungs, but evidence of systemic disease with multi-organ involvement is emerging. Here, we developed a blood test to broadly quantify cell-, tissue-, and organ-specific injury due to COVID-19.

Methods

Our test leverages genome-wide methylation profiling of circulating cell-free DNA in plasma. We assessed the utility of this test to identify subjects with severe disease in two independent, longitudinal cohorts of hospitalized patients. Cell-free DNA profiling was performed on 104 plasma samples from 33 COVID-19 patients and compared to samples from patients with other viral infections and healthy controls.

Findings

We found evidence of injury to the lung and liver and involvement of red blood cell pro

SUBMITTER: Cheng AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7836424 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature