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Serum Protein Profiling Reveals a Specific Upregulation of the Immunomodulatory Protein Progranulin in Coronavirus

Marina Rieder1,2, Luisa Wirth3, Luisa Pollmeier3

  • 1Heart Center Freiburg University, Department of Cardiology and Angiology I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|November 29, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Progranulin (GRN) is specifically upregulated in patients with COVID-19, unlike interleukin-6 (IL-6). High GRN levels correlate with adverse outcomes and increased IL-6 in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is linked to high interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels.
  • Evidence suggests COVID-19 involves complex proinflammatory and antiviral dysregulation, including impaired interferon signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare serum protein expression profiles in patients with and without severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
  • To investigate the role of specific proteins, beyond IL-6, in COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, single-center registry study.
  • Inclusion of SARS-CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative patients with similar disease severity admitted to the emergency department.
  • Comparison of serum protein expression profiles between groups.

Main Results:

  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were similar between SARS-CoV-2-positive (n=24) and SARS-CoV-2-negative (n=61) patients.
  • A specific upregulation of the immunomodulatory protein progranulin (GRN) was observed in SARS-CoV-2-positive patients.
  • High GRN abundance correlated with adverse outcomes and increased IL-6 expression in COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions:

  • Progranulin (GRN) is specifically upregulated in SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals.
  • IL-6 may indicate disease severity, while GRN warrants further investigation as a potential biomarker.
  • The impact of elevated GRN on interferon signaling, viral clearance, and lung damage in COVID-19 requires further study.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2biomarkerinterferonproteome

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