Abstract
Background & aims: Obesity is associated with low grade systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. Although metabolic and immunological changes may contribute to the increased risk for COVID-19 mortality in obese, little is known about the impact of obesity in the lungs of patients with COVID-19.
Methods: We analyzed gene expression profiles of autopsy lungs of a cohort of 14 COVID-19 patients and 4 control individuals. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to their comorbidities: hypertension, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity. We then identified the molecular alterations associated with these comorbidities in COVID-19 patients.
Results: Patients with only hypertension showed higher levels of inflammatory genes and B-cell related genes when compared to those with T2D and obesity. However, the levels of IFN-gamma, IL22, and CD274 (a ligand that binds to receptor PD1) were higher in COVID-19 patients with T2D and obesity. Several metabolic- and immune-associated genes such as G6PD, LCK and IL10 were significantly induced in the lungs of the obese group.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lungs may exacerbate the immune response and chronic condition in obese COVID-19 patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; Comorbidities; Inflammation; Leptin; Lung; Obesity.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Inflammation, obesity, Comorbidities, lung, Leptin, 【초록키워드】 immune response, SARS-COV-2 infection, obesity, Comorbidities, lung, Comorbidity, diabetes, hypertension, Autopsy, G6PD, type 2 diabetes, Cohort, Lungs, insulin resistance, systemic inflammation, receptor, molecular, group, chronic condition, insulin, COVID-19 patients, IFN-gamma, B-cell, Ligand, Leptin, Gene expression profiles, COVID-19 mortality, COVID-19 patient, T2D, low grade, increased risk, alteration, obese, gene expression profile, IL10, inflammatory genes, CD274, IL22, obese COVID-19 patients, bind, analyzed, significantly, contribute, individuals, exacerbate, immunological change, inflammatory gene, LCK, patients with COVID-19, PD1, type 2 diabete, 【제목키워드】 Autopsy, obese patient, with COVID-19,