Expression profiles of the SARS-CoV-2 host invasion genes in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs of COVID-19 patients
Francesca Amati,
Chiara Vancheri,
Andrea Latini,
Vito Luigi Colona,
Sandro Grelli,
Maria Rosaria D'Apice,
Emanuela Balestrieri,
Chiara Passarelli,
Antonella Minutolo,
Sara Loddo,
Andrea Di Lorenzo,
Paola Rogliani,
Massimo Andreoni,
Giuseppe Novelli
Affiliations
Francesca Amati
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy; Department for the Promotion of Human Science and Quality of Life, University San Raffaele, 00166, Rome, RM, Italy
Chiara Vancheri
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Andrea Latini
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Vito Luigi Colona
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy; Tor Vergata University Hospital, PTV, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Sandro Grelli
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Maria Rosaria D'Apice
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy; Tor Vergata University Hospital, PTV, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Emanuela Balestrieri
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Tor Vergata University Hospital, PTV, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Paola Rogliani
Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome ''Tor Vergata'', 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Massimo Andreoni
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
Giuseppe Novelli
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy; Tor Vergata University Hospital, PTV, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy; Neuromed IRCCS Institute, 86077, Pozzilli, IS, Italy; School of Medicine, Reno University of Nevada, NV, 89557, USA; Corresponding author.
We collect the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs of 63 subjects with severe symptoms or contacts with COVID-19 confirmed cases to perform a pilot-study aimed to verify the “in situ” expression of SARS-CoV-2 host invasion genes (ACE2, TMPRSS2, PCSK3, EMILIN1, EMILIN2, MMRN1, MMRN2, DPP4). ACE2 (FC = +1.88, p ≤ 0.05) and DPP4 (FC = +3, p < 0.01) genes showed a significant overexpression in COVID-19 patients. ACE2 and DPP4 expression levels had a good performance (AUC = 0.75; p < 0.001) in distinguishing COVID-19 patients from negative subjects. Interestingly, we found a significant positive association of ACE2 mRNA and PCSK3, EMILIN1, MMRN1 and MMRN2 expression and of DPP4 mRNA and EMILIN2 expression only in COVID-19 patients. Noteworthy, a subgroup of severe COVID-19 (n = 7) patients, showed significant high level of ACE2 mRNA and another subgroup of less severe COVID-19 patients (n = 6) significant raised DPP4 levels.These results indicate that a group of SARS-CoV-2 host invasion genes are functionally related in COVID-19 patients and suggests that ACE2 and DPP4 expression level could act as genomic biomarkers. Moreover, at the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that shows an elevated DPP4 expression in naso- and oropharyngeal swabs of COVID-19 patient thus suggesting a functional role of DPP4 in SARS-CoV-2 infections.
