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. 2024 Feb 29;14(1):4974.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55696-0. Severe COVID-19 and long COVID are associated with high expression of STING, cGAS and IFN-α
Maria Alice Freitas Queiroz 1 2 , Wandrey Roberto Dos Santos Brito 3 4 , Keise Adrielle Santos Pereira 3 4 , Leonn Mendes Soares Pereira 3 4 , Ednelza da Silva Graça Amoras 3 , Sandra Souza Lima 3 , Erika Ferreira Dos Santos 4 5 , Flávia Póvoa da Costa 4 5 , Kevin Matheus Lima de Sarges 4 5 , Marcos Henrique Damasceno Cantanhede 4 5 , Mioni Thieli Figueiredo Magalhães de Brito 5 , Andréa Luciana Soares da Silva 5 , Mauro de Meira Leite 5 , Maria de Nazaré do Socorro de Almeida Viana 4 5 , Fabíola Brasil Barbosa Rodrigues 4 5 , Rosilene da Silva 4 5 , Giselle Maria Rachid Viana 6 , Tânia do Socorro Souza Chaves 6 7 , Adriana de Oliveira Lameira Veríssimo 8 , Mayara da Silva Carvalho 8 , Daniele Freitas Henriques 9 , Carla Pinheiro da Silva 9 , Juliana Abreu Lima Nunes 10 , Iran Barros Costa 10 11 , Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres-Vallinoto 3 4 , Igor Brasil-Costa 10 11 , Juarez Antônio Simões Quaresma 11 12 , Luiz Fábio Magno Falcão 12 , Eduardo José Melo Dos Santos 4 5 , Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto 3 4 11
Affiliations
The cGAS-STING pathway appears to contribute to dysregulated inflammation during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, inflammatory factors related to long COVID are still being investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the association of cGAS and STING gene expression levels and plasma IFN-α, TNF-α and IL-6 levels with COVID-19 severity in acute infection and long COVID, based on analysis of blood samples from 148 individuals, 87 with acute COVID-19 and 61 in the post-COVID-19 period. Quantification of gene expression was performed by real-time PCR, and cytokine levels were quantified by ELISA and flow cytometry. In acute COVID-19, cGAS, STING, IFN-α, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were higher in patients with severe disease than in those with nonsevere manifestations (p < 0.05). Long COVID was associated with elevated cGAS, STING and IFN-α levels (p < 0.05). Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway may contribute to an intense systemic inflammatory state in severe COVID-19 and, after infection resolution, induce an autoinflammatory disease in some tissues, resulting in long COVID.
. 2024 Feb 29;14(1):4974.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55696-0. Severe COVID-19 and long COVID are associated with high expression of STING, cGAS and IFN-α
Maria Alice Freitas Queiroz 1 2 , Wandrey Roberto Dos Santos Brito 3 4 , Keise Adrielle Santos Pereira 3 4 , Leonn Mendes Soares Pereira 3 4 , Ednelza da Silva Graça Amoras 3 , Sandra Souza Lima 3 , Erika Ferreira Dos Santos 4 5 , Flávia Póvoa da Costa 4 5 , Kevin Matheus Lima de Sarges 4 5 , Marcos Henrique Damasceno Cantanhede 4 5 , Mioni Thieli Figueiredo Magalhães de Brito 5 , Andréa Luciana Soares da Silva 5 , Mauro de Meira Leite 5 , Maria de Nazaré do Socorro de Almeida Viana 4 5 , Fabíola Brasil Barbosa Rodrigues 4 5 , Rosilene da Silva 4 5 , Giselle Maria Rachid Viana 6 , Tânia do Socorro Souza Chaves 6 7 , Adriana de Oliveira Lameira Veríssimo 8 , Mayara da Silva Carvalho 8 , Daniele Freitas Henriques 9 , Carla Pinheiro da Silva 9 , Juliana Abreu Lima Nunes 10 , Iran Barros Costa 10 11 , Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres-Vallinoto 3 4 , Igor Brasil-Costa 10 11 , Juarez Antônio Simões Quaresma 11 12 , Luiz Fábio Magno Falcão 12 , Eduardo José Melo Dos Santos 4 5 , Antonio Carlos Rosário Vallinoto 3 4 11
Affiliations
- PMID: 38424312
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55696-0
The cGAS-STING pathway appears to contribute to dysregulated inflammation during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, inflammatory factors related to long COVID are still being investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the association of cGAS and STING gene expression levels and plasma IFN-α, TNF-α and IL-6 levels with COVID-19 severity in acute infection and long COVID, based on analysis of blood samples from 148 individuals, 87 with acute COVID-19 and 61 in the post-COVID-19 period. Quantification of gene expression was performed by real-time PCR, and cytokine levels were quantified by ELISA and flow cytometry. In acute COVID-19, cGAS, STING, IFN-α, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were higher in patients with severe disease than in those with nonsevere manifestations (p < 0.05). Long COVID was associated with elevated cGAS, STING and IFN-α levels (p < 0.05). Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway may contribute to an intense systemic inflammatory state in severe COVID-19 and, after infection resolution, induce an autoinflammatory disease in some tissues, resulting in long COVID.