Dataset Information

Transcriptomic analysis revealed increased expression of genes involved in keratinization in the tears of COVID-19 patients

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Recent studies have focused their attention on conjunctivitis as one of the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, tear samples were taken from COVID-19 patients and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 was evidenced using Real Time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Methods: The main aim of this study was to analyze mRNA expression in the tears of patients with COVID-19 viral infection compared with healthy subjects using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Results: The functional evaluation of the transcriptome highlighted 25 genes that differ statistically between healthy individuals and patients affected by COVID-19 disease. In particular, the NGS analysis identified the presence of several genes involved in B cell signaling and keratinization. In particular, the genes involved in B cell signaling were downregulated in the tears of COVID-19 patients, while those involved in keratinization were upregulated. Conclusions: The results indicated that COVID-19 may induce a process of ocular keratinization and a defective B cell response.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE168998 | GEO | 2022/02/02

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Objective To identify transcript level differences between traumatic and degenerative tears of tendon tissues in shoulder joint using RNA-seq. Methods Tendon tissues were isolated from female and male patients with traumatic or degenerative tears during arthroscopic surgery (N = 31). Differentially expressed transcript were identified and biological processes enriched in traumatic and degenerative tears were probed computationally. Expression pattern of selected transcripts was validated by real-time qPCR. Results We identified 339 and 336 transcripts differentially expressed between traumatic and degenerative tears in females and males respectively at a fold-change greater than |2| and a p-value  0.05. In females, GSTM1, MT1G, S1008A, ACSM3, DSC, FAM110C and VNN2 were the most prominent transcripts elevated in traumatic tears and CHAD, CLEC3A, IBSP, TNMD, APLNR, and CPA3 were most highly repressed in traumatic tears. Transcripts elevated in traumatic tears represented catabolic processes, immune response, and metabolic processes while those repressed in traumatic tears represented tissue morphogenesis and developmental processes, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix organization. In males, ELOA3B, CXCL8, ADM, TNS4 and SPOCK1 were the most prominent transcripts elevated in traumatic tears and MYL2, TNNC1, MB, CPA3, APLNR, and CA3 were most highly repressed in traumatic tears. Transcripts elevated in traumatic tears represented localization of endoplasmic reticulum, chromosome organization, leukocyte/neutrophil degranulation, and protein transport whereas those repressed in traumatic tears represented muscle development, blood circulation (angiogenesis), and muscle cell differentiation. Numerous novel lncRNAs were also identified to be differentially expressed between traumatic and degenerative tears in both sexes. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance This study improves our molecular understanding of tendon tissues in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy based on underlying etiology (trauma and degeneration). It also provides new insights into sex-based transcript differences that may help drive clinical decision making in female and male patients with traumatic and degenerative shoulder injuries.

Project description:Objective: To identify transcript level differences between traumatic and degenerative tears of subacromial bursal tissues in shoulder joint using RNA-seq. Methods: Bursal tissues were collected from female and male patients with traumatic or degenerative tears during arthroscopic surgery (N=32). Differentially expressed transcript between traumatic and degenerative tears were detected by RNA-seq and biological processes were identified computationally. RNA-seq results were selectively validated by real-time qPCR. Results: We identified 334 protein-coding transcripts differentially expressed between traumatic and degenerative tears in females and 167 in males at a fold-change greater than |2| and a P < 0.05. In females, XIRP2, MYL1, MYBPC1, TNNT1, and LMOD2, were the highly expressed in traumatic tears and TPSD1, CDSN, RCVRN, LTBP4, and PTGS1 were prominently repressed in traumatic tears. Transcripts elevated in traumatic tears represented muscle cell differentiation and development, and muscle contraction whereas those elevated in degenerative tears represented cell activation, neutrophil granulation, immune response, and protein transport. In males, AZGP1, CNTFR, COL9A1, ZNF98 and EREG were highly elevated in traumatic tears whereas MYL2, HOXD11, SLC6A7, CADM1, and MMP17 were most highly repressed in traumatic tears. Transcripts elevated in traumatic tears represented metabolic processes, catabolic processes, and transmembrane protein transport while processes related to cell cycle were mainly repressed in traumatic tears. We also identified a number of novel lncRNAs differentially expressed between traumatic and degenerative tears in both females and males. Conclusions: This study increases our molecular understanding of bursal tissues in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy based on the nature of disease that is trauma or degeneration. These finding also provide new insights into sex-based transcript differences that could inform clinical decision making in treating patients with traumatic and degenerative shoulder injuries.

Project description:The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an essential stabilizer of the tibiofemoral articulation. ACL tears often lead to functional instability and are associated with an increased risk for osteoarthritis. The healing potential of the injured ACL is poorly understood and is considered to be limited. Transcriptome-wide expression profiles of 24 human ACL remnants recovered at the time of surgical reconstruction were analyzed utilizing the Agilent human 8x60K microarray platform. Gene ontology was performed on differentially expressed transcripts based on time-from-injury (acute, <3 months; intermediate, 3-12 months; chronic, >12 months). A subset of transcripts was validated via microfluidic digital polymerase-chain-reaction. Expression of periostin, a highly differentially expressed transcript, was tested by immunohistochemistry. Numerous transcripts covering important functional classifications were differentially expressed by time-from-injury. In acute tears, processes representing angiogenesis were repressed while those representing stem-cell differentiation were elevated. In intermediate tears, processes representing stem-cell proliferation concomitant with cellular component organization/cellular localization were elevated. In chronic tears, processes denoting myosin filament organization were elevated while those representing cellular component organization/cell localization and extracellular matrix organization were repressed. Expression levels of periostin were down-regulated in chronic tears compared to acute (42-fold) and intermediate (29-fold) tears. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a decline in periostin expression in tissues from chronic tears. These findings suggest an initial attempt of the injured ACL to repair, which declines with time-from-injury. These findings have implications for efforts to repair the ACL and may be relevant for reconstruction of the ACL. The functional role of periostin in ACL injuries, and the potential implication for surgical treatment, warrants further investigation. Total RNA obtained frominjured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tissues from pateints undergoing ACL surgery.

Project description:Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is characterized by dysfunctional mucous membranes and dysregulated moisture-secreting glands resulting in various symptoms, including dry mouth and dry eyes. Here, we wanted to profile and compare the tears and saliva proteomes of SS patients to healthy controls. Tear and saliva samples were collected and subjected to an isotopic dimethylation labeling shotgun proteomics workflow to identify alterations in protein levels. In tear samples, we identified 83 upregulated and 112 downregulated proteins. Altered pathways in SS patients’ tears included leukocyte transendothelial migration, neutrophil degranulation, and post-translation protein phosphorylation. In healthy controls’ tears, enriched proteins for glycolysis, amino acid metabolism and apoptotic signaling pathway were identified. In saliva, we identified 108 upregulated and 45 downregulated proteins. Altered pathways in SS patients’ saliva included cornification, sensory perception to taste and neutrophil degranulation. In healthy controls’ saliva, enriched proteins for JAK-STAT signaling after interleukin-12 stimulation, phagocytosis and glycolysis in senescence were identified. Dysregulated protease activity is implicated in the initiation of inflammation and immune cell recruitment in SS. We identified 20 proteases and protease inhibitors in tears and 18 in saliva which are differentially expressed between SS patients and healthy controls. Next, we quantified endogenous proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), a mucin-like glycoprotein previously shown to be present in tears and never studied in saliva, in tear wash and saliva samples via a bead-based immune assay. We identified decreased levels of PRG4 in SS patients’ tear wash compared to normal samples. Conversely, in saliva, we found elevated levels of PRG4 concentration and visualized PRG4 expression in human parotid gland via immunohistological staining. These findings improve our mechanistic understanding of the disease and changes in SS patients’ protein expression will help identify new potential drug targets. PRG4 is among the promising targets, which we identified here, in saliva, for the first time.

Dataset Information

Transcriptomic analysis revealed increased expression of genes involved in keratinization in the tears of COVID-19 patients

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure