Frontiers in Immunology (Oct 2021)

COVID-19 Is a Multi-Organ Aggressor: Epigenetic and Clinical Marks

  • Mankgopo Magdeline Kgatle,
  • Mankgopo Magdeline Kgatle,
  • Ismaheel Opeyemi Lawal,
  • Ismaheel Opeyemi Lawal,
  • Ismaheel Opeyemi Lawal,
  • Gabriel Mashabela,
  • Tebatso Moshoeu Gillian Boshomane,
  • Tebatso Moshoeu Gillian Boshomane,
  • Tebatso Moshoeu Gillian Boshomane,
  • Tebatso Moshoeu Gillian Boshomane,
  • Palesa Caroline Koatale,
  • Palesa Caroline Koatale,
  • Phetole Walter Mahasha,
  • Honest Ndlovu,
  • Mariza Vorster,
  • Hosana Gomes Rodrigues,
  • Jan Rijn Zeevaart,
  • Jan Rijn Zeevaart,
  • Jan Rijn Zeevaart,
  • Siamon Gordon,
  • Siamon Gordon,
  • Pedro Moura-Alves,
  • Mike Machaba Sathekge,
  • Mike Machaba Sathekge,
  • Mike Machaba Sathekge

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.752380
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

Read online

The progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), resulting from a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Several viruses hijack the host genome machinery for their own advantage and survival, and similar phenomena might occur upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. Severe cases of COVID-19 may be driven by metabolic and epigenetic driven mechanisms, including DNA methylation and histone/chromatin alterations. These epigenetic phenomena may respond to enhanced viral replication and mediate persistent long-term infection and clinical phenotypes associated with severe COVID-19 cases and fatalities. Understanding the epigenetic events involved, and their clinical significance, may provide novel insights valuable for the therapeutic control and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. This review highlights different epigenetic marks potentially associated with COVID-19 development, clinical manifestation, and progression.

Keywords