Evaluation of expression of VDR-associated lncRNAs in COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to cause serious health problems among them is the Acute Respiratory Distress syndrome (ARDS). Vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling possibly partakes in the pathophysiology of this devastating complication.

In the current project, we have appraised expression levels of VDR, CYP27B1 and a number of associated lncRNAs in the circulation of COVID-19 patients versus healthy subjects using real-time PCR method.

Expression of SNHG6 was considerably lower in COVID-19 patients compared with control subjects (Ratio of mean expression (RME) = 0.22, P value = 7.04E-05) and in both female and male COVID-19 patients compared with sex-matched unaffected individuals (RME = 0.32, P value = 0.04 and RME = 0.16, P value = 0.000679683, respectively). However, its expression was similar among ICU-hospitalized and non-ICU patients. Similarly, expression of SNHG16 was lower in in COVID-19 patients compared with controls (RME = 0.20, P value = 5.94E-05) and in both female and male patients compared with sex-matched controls (RME = 0.32, P value = 0.04 and RME = 0.14, P value = 0.000496435, respectively) with no significant difference among ICU-hospitalized and non-ICU hospitalized patients. Expression of VDR was lower in COVID-19 patients compared with controls (RME = 0.42, P value = 0.04) and in male patients compared with male controls (RME = 0.27, P value = 0.02). Yet, expression of VDR was statistically similar between female subgroups and between ICU-hospitalized and non-ICU hospitalized patients. Expression levels CYP27B, Linc00511 and Linc00346 were similar among COVID-19 patients and healthy subjects or between their subgroups. Significant correlations have been detected between expression levels of VDR, CYP27B and SNHG6, SNHG16, Linc00511 and Linc00346 lncRNAs both among COVID-19 patients and among healthy controls with the most significant ones being SNHG6 and SNHG16 (r = 0.74, P value = 3.26e-17 and r = 0.81, P = 1.54e-22, respectively).

Combination of transcript levels of VDR, CYP27B and SNHG6, SNHG16, Linc00511 and Linc00346 could differentiate patients from controls with AUC = 0.76, sensitivity = 0.62 and specificity = 0.81. The current data potentiate SNHG6, SNHG16 and VDR as possible contributors in COVID-19 infection but not in the severity of ARDS.