Evaluation of Mir-200C-3P and Mir-421-5P Levels During Immune Responses in the Admitted and Recovered Covid-19 Subjects Publisher Pubmed



Abdolahi S¹ ; Hosseini M^{1, 2} ; Rezaei R¹ ; Mohebbi SR³ ; Rostaminejad M¹ ; Mojarad EN³ ; Mirjalali H⁴ ; Yadegar A⁴ ; Asadzadeh Aghdaei H¹ ; Zali MR³ ; Baghaei K^{1, 3} Show Affiliations
Source: Infection# Genetics and Evolution Published:2022

Abstract

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) acts as a key receptor for the spike of SARS-CoV-2. Two main microRNAs (miRs), miR-200c-3p and miR-421-5p, are considered to modulate the expression of ACE2 gene and alterations in the expression of these miRNAs may influence the outcomes of COVID-19 infection. Accordingly, we examined whether miRNAs directing ACE2 expression altered in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. 30 patients with COVID-19 included in the study. At the time of admission and discharge, the expression of miR-200c-3p and miR-421-5p, inflammatory cytokine IL-6, and regulatory T cells' expression profiles (CD4, CD25, and Foxp3) were examined using quantitative real-time PCR method. At the time of admission, the expression levels of miR-200c-3p and miR-421-5p as well as CD4, CD25, and Foxp3 significantly decreased while IL-6 expression notably enhanced. However, by the time of discharge, the expression levels of the genes were opposite to the time of admission. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis indicated that IL-6 expression negatively correlated with Foxp3 and miR-200c-3p expressions despite miR-421-5p and miR-200c-3p positively correlated at admission time. By manipulating miR-200c-3p and miR-421-5p expressions and controlling the ACE2 level, it is plausible to modulate the inflammation by reducing IL-6 and maintenance tolerance hemostasis during COVID-19 infection. © 2022 The Authors