Abstract
Objectives
The characterization of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 by observing changes in gene expression profile and possible bacterial coinfection is relevant to be investigated. We aimed to identify transcriptomic and coinfection profiles in both groups of patients.
Methods
A ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence analysis on nasopharyngeal swabs were performed using a shotgun sequencing pipeline. Differential gene analysis, viral genome assembly, and metagenomics analysis were further performed using the retrieved data.
Results
Both groups of patients underwent a cilia modification and mRNA splicing. Modulations in macroautophagy, epigenetics, and cell cycle processes were observed specifically in the asymptomatic group. Modulation in the RNA transport was found specifically in the mildly symptomatic group. The mildly symptomatic group showed modulation in the RNA transport and upregulation of autophagy regulator genes and genes in the complement system. No link between viral variants and disease severity was found. Microbiome analysis revealed the elevation of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Veillonella parvula proportion in symptomatic patients.
Conclusion
A reduction in the autophagy influx and modification in the epigenetic profile might be involved in halting the disease progression. A global dysregulation of RNA processing and translation might cause more severe outcomes in symptomatic individuals. Coinfection by opportunistic microflora should be taken into account when assessing the possible outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, transcriptomics, Gene ontology, Differential gene expression, 【초록키워드】 translation, SARS-COV-2 infection, disease severity, Sequencing, complement, progression, outcome, autophagy, RNA, Nasopharyngeal swab, Coinfection, Viral genome assembly, Symptomatic patients, Asymptomatic, mRNA, symptomatic, Patient, Sequence analysis, group, viral variant, Epigenetic, patients, Bacterial, Analysis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, dysregulation, Transport, modulation, profile, symptomatic individuals, upregulation, gene expression profile, Modification, transcriptomic, objective, Cell, Result, identify, performed, involved, proportion, investigated, the disease, changes in, reduction in, in both group, mildly symptomatic patient, retrieved, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Nasopharyngeal swab, Asymptomatic, Analysis, RNA sequence, mildly symptomatic patient, with COVID-19,