SARS-CoV-2 Infection Boosts MX1 Antiviral Effector in COVID-19 Patients

Juan Bizzotto; Pablo Sanchis; Mercedes Abbate; Sofía Lage-Vickers; Rosario Lavignolle; Ayelén Toro; Santiago Olszevicki; Agustina Sabater; Florencia Cascardo; Elba Vazquez; Javier Cotignola; Geraldine Gueron

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2020.101585

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Boosts MX1 Antiviral Effector in COVID-19 Patients

iScience. 2020 Oct 23;23(10):101585. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101585. Epub 2020 Sep 23.

Authors

Juan Bizzotto^{1

2}, Pablo Sanchis^{1

2}, Mercedes Abbate^{1

2}, Sofía Lage-Vickers^{1

2}, Rosario Lavignolle^{1

2}, Ayelén Toro^{1

2}, Santiago Olszevicki^{1

2}, Agustina Sabater^{1

2}, Florencia Cascardo^{1

2}, Elba Vazquez^{1

2}, Javier Cotignola^{1

2}, Geraldine Gueron^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Biológica, Intendente Guiraldes 2160, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina.
² CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina.

Abstract

In a published case-control study (GSE152075) from SARS-CoV-2-positive (n = 403) and -negative patients (n = 50), we analyzed the response to infection assessing gene expression of host cell receptors and antiviral proteins. The expression analysis associated with reported risk factors for COVID-19 was also assessed. SARS-CoV-2 cases had higher ACE2, but lower TMPRSS2, BSG/CD147, and CTSB expression compared with negative cases. COVID-19 patients' age negatively affected ACE2 expression. MX1 and MX2 were higher in COVID-19 patients. A negative trend for MX1 and MX2 was observed as patients' age increased. Principal-component analysis determined that ACE2, MX1, MX2, and BSG/CD147 expression was able to cluster non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 individuals. Multivariable regression showed that MX1 expression significantly increased for each unit of viral load increment. Altogether, these findings support differences in ACE2, MX1, MX2, and BSG/CD147 expression between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients and point out to MX1 as a critical responder in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: Health Informatics; Virology.