TY - JOUR

T1 - Circulating miRNAs in the Plasma of Post-COVID-19 Patients with Typical Recovery and Those with Long-COVID Symptoms: Regulation of Immune Response-Associated Pathways

AU - Timofeeva, Anna M.

AU - Nikitin, Artem O.

AU - Nevinsky, Georgy A.

N1 - This research was maintained by the Russian Science Foundation (Project 22-15-00103 to Georgy Nevinsky - all the research except for statistical analysis) and the Russian State-funded budget project of ICBFM SB RAS 0245-2021-0009 (121031300041-4) to Georgy Nevinsky - statistical analysis).

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - Following the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, certain individuals experience persistent symptoms referred to as long COVID. This study analyzed the patients categorized into three distinct groups: (1) individuals presenting rheumatological symptoms associated with long COVID, (2) patients who have successfully recovered from COVID-19, and (3) donors who have never contracted COVID-19. A notable decline in the expression of miR-200c-3p, miR-766-3p, and miR-142-3p was identified among patients exhibiting rheumatological symptoms of long COVID. The highest concentration of miR-142-3p was found in healthy donors. One potential way to reduce miRNA concentrations is through antibody-mediated hydrolysis. Not only can antibodies possessing RNA-hydrolyzing activity recognize the miRNA substrate specifically, but they also catalyze its hydrolysis. The analysis of the catalytic activity of plasma antibodies revealed that antibodies from patients with long COVID demonstrated lower hydrolysis activity against five fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide sequences corresponding to the Flu-miR-146b-5p, Flu-miR-766-3p, Flu-miR-4742-3p, and Flu-miR-142-3p miRNAs and increased activity against the Flu-miR-378a-3p miRNA compared to other patient groups. The changes in miRNA concentrations and antibody-mediated hydrolysis of miRNAs are assumed to have a complex regulatory mechanism that is linked to gene pathways associated with the immune system. We demonstrate that all six miRNAs under analysis are associated with a large number of signaling pathways associated with immune response-associated pathways.

AB - Following the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, certain individuals experience persistent symptoms referred to as long COVID. This study analyzed the patients categorized into three distinct groups: (1) individuals presenting rheumatological symptoms associated with long COVID, (2) patients who have successfully recovered from COVID-19, and (3) donors who have never contracted COVID-19. A notable decline in the expression of miR-200c-3p, miR-766-3p, and miR-142-3p was identified among patients exhibiting rheumatological symptoms of long COVID. The highest concentration of miR-142-3p was found in healthy donors. One potential way to reduce miRNA concentrations is through antibody-mediated hydrolysis. Not only can antibodies possessing RNA-hydrolyzing activity recognize the miRNA substrate specifically, but they also catalyze its hydrolysis. The analysis of the catalytic activity of plasma antibodies revealed that antibodies from patients with long COVID demonstrated lower hydrolysis activity against five fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide sequences corresponding to the Flu-miR-146b-5p, Flu-miR-766-3p, Flu-miR-4742-3p, and Flu-miR-142-3p miRNAs and increased activity against the Flu-miR-378a-3p miRNA compared to other patient groups. The changes in miRNA concentrations and antibody-mediated hydrolysis of miRNAs are assumed to have a complex regulatory mechanism that is linked to gene pathways associated with the immune system. We demonstrate that all six miRNAs under analysis are associated with a large number of signaling pathways associated with immune response-associated pathways.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85207318505&origin=inward&txGid=aa67576266ecdca5e854c1f5ac9ddbe0

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/f76e3db2-76dd-384c-976e-29b423301e19/

U2 - 10.3390/ncrna10050048

DO - 10.3390/ncrna10050048

M3 - Article

C2 - 39311385

VL - 10

JO - Non-Coding RNA

JF - Non-Coding RNA

SN - 2311-553X

IS - 5

M1 - 48

ER -