Patients with persistent or transient Covid19-related olfactory deficits show a different gene expression pattern in the olfactory mucosa
Fri-P2-080
Presented by: Carla Mucignat
Objective: COVID-19 (C19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a Beta-Coronavirus eliciting a variety of symptoms, which may involve the chemical senses. It may replicate in the olfactory epithelium, triggering olfactory dysfunction and possibly anosmia. Olfactory symptoms may last for weeks or months, thus pertaining to the Long Covid-19 disease. In order to unravel the determinants of olfactory symptom persistence, we examined olfactory mucosa from patients with different symptoms.
Methods: We enrolled twenty-one patients (Comitato Etico Sperimentazione Clinica prot. N. 056881) after their recovery from infection, and assigned them to one of the following groups: C19 with persistent olfactory symptoms, C19 with transient olfactory symptoms, C19 without olfactory symptoms and controls (never had C19). Cells from the olfactory mucosa were harvested and their transcriptome analyzed. Olfactory performance was assessed with Sniffin’ Sticks.
Results: The expression profile of miRNA appeared significantly altered after C19 infection, despite no relationship with olfactory symptoms was found. However, RNA-seq showed gene expression levels is altered for a long time after infection. Patients with persistent anosmia have altered levels of expression of genes involved in the neutrophil-mediated immune response and zinc homeostasis.
Conclusions: We suggest that miRNA are not directly involved in the appearance of C19-related olfactory disturbances, while the pattern of gene expression allows to segregate the four clinical groups and may suggest involvement of some pathways in olfactory symptoms persistence.
Funding: CARIPARO NEUROCOVID 2020 to AC, GO, AA, CP, CM.
Methods: We enrolled twenty-one patients (Comitato Etico Sperimentazione Clinica prot. N. 056881) after their recovery from infection, and assigned them to one of the following groups: C19 with persistent olfactory symptoms, C19 with transient olfactory symptoms, C19 without olfactory symptoms and controls (never had C19). Cells from the olfactory mucosa were harvested and their transcriptome analyzed. Olfactory performance was assessed with Sniffin’ Sticks.
Results: The expression profile of miRNA appeared significantly altered after C19 infection, despite no relationship with olfactory symptoms was found. However, RNA-seq showed gene expression levels is altered for a long time after infection. Patients with persistent anosmia have altered levels of expression of genes involved in the neutrophil-mediated immune response and zinc homeostasis.
Conclusions: We suggest that miRNA are not directly involved in the appearance of C19-related olfactory disturbances, while the pattern of gene expression allows to segregate the four clinical groups and may suggest involvement of some pathways in olfactory symptoms persistence.
Funding: CARIPARO NEUROCOVID 2020 to AC, GO, AA, CP, CM.