Persistent blood DNA methylation changes one year after SARS-CoV-2 infection

Area of Science:

• Epigenetics
• Immunology
• Virology

Background:

• COVID-19 infection causes significant changes in circulating leukocyte DNA methylation.
• The persistence of these epigenetic alterations after disease resolution is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether DNA methylation changes in circulating leukocytes persist one year after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• To identify specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that remain altered post-recovery.

Main Methods:

• Epigenotyping of circulating leukocytes from fifteen participants previously hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2.
• Comparison of DNA methylation profiles one year after discharge with acute illness profiles.
• Identification and characterization of persistent differentially methylated regions (DMRs).

Main Results:

• Seventy-one out of 1505 acute illness-induced DMRs persisted one year after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• These persistent DMRs involved an average of 7 serial CpG positions.
• The majority of persistent DMRs (64) were hypermethylated, while 7 were hypomethylated.

Conclusions:

• DNA methylation alterations in circulating leukocytes can endure long after recovery from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• These findings provide the first evidence of long-lasting epigenetic changes following COVID-19.
• Persistent epigenetic modifications may contribute to long-term health consequences of COVID-19.