Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
10-21-2024
Journal
Molecular Cancer
Abstract
Background: Cancer patients are more susceptible to an aggressive course of COVID-19. Developing biomarkers identifying cancer patients at high risk of COVID-19-related death could help determine who needs early clinical intervention. The miRNAs hosted in the genomic regions associated with the risk of aggressive COVID-19 could represent potential biomarkers for clinical outcomes.
Patients and methods: Plasma samples were collected at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from cancer patients (N = 128) affected by COVID-19. Serum samples were collected from vaccinated healthy individuals (n = 23) at the Municipal Clinical Emergency Teaching Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. An in silico positional cloning approach was used to identify the presence of miRNAs at COVID-19 risk-associated genomic regions: CORSAIRs (COvid-19 RiSk AssocIated genomic Regions). The miRNA levels were measured by RT-qPCR.
Results: We found that miRNAs were enriched in CORSAIR. Low plasma levels of hsa-miR-150-5p and hsa-miR-93-5p were associated with higher COVID-19-related death. The levels of hsa-miR-92b-3p were associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) increased secretion of hsa-miR-150-5p, hsa-miR-93-5p, and hsa-miR-92b-3p after in vitro TLR7/8- and T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated activation. Increased levels of these three miRNAs were measured in the serum samples of healthy individuals between one and nine months after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. SARS-CoV-2 infection of human airway epithelial cells influenced the miRNA levels inside their secreted extracellular vesicles.
Conclusions: MiRNAs are enriched at CORSAIR. Plasma miRNA levels can represent a potential blood biomarker for predicting COVID-19-related death in cancer patients.
Keywords
Humans, COVID-19, Neoplasms, SARS-CoV-2, Male, MicroRNAs, Female, Prognosis, Middle Aged, Aged, Adult, MiRNAs, Genomics, Cancer, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Plasma biomarkers
DOI
10.1186/s12943-024-02094-9
PMID
39434078
PMCID
PMC11492698
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
10-21-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Included in
Bioinformatics Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, COVID-19 Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Genetic Phenomena Commons, Medical Genetics Commons, Neoplasms Commons, Oncology Commons