CXCL10 May Be Responsible for Susceptibility to Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19 Patients

Yingli Liu1, Dan Si2, Pingping Bai3

  • 1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, People's Republic of China.

PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified 36 common genes between COVID-19 and pulmonary embolism (PE). CXCL10 was found to be a key gene, potentially explaining why COVID-19 patients develop PE.

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Immunology
  • Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a known complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Identifying shared genetic factors could elucidate the pathogenesis of PE susceptibility in COVID-19 patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify genes common to both COVID-19 and PE.
  • To understand the molecular mechanisms contributing to PE development in COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • Gene expression data for COVID-19 and PE were collected from public databases.
  • Common genes were identified through overlap analysis.
  • Functional enrichment, protein-protein interaction, and immune infiltration analyses were performed.
  • Hub genes were identified and validated in independent datasets and clinical samples.

Main Results:

  • Thirty-six genes were found to be common to both COVID-19 and PE.
  • Functional analyses indicated the involvement of cytokines and immune activation.
  • Five hub genes were identified, including CCL2, CXCL10, ALB, EGF, and MKI67.
  • CXCL10 was validated and showed significantly elevated serum levels in COVID-19 patients with and without PE compared to healthy controls.

Conclusions:

  • This study identified shared genes between COVID-19 and PE, highlighting potential pathogenic pathways.
  • CXCL10 is proposed as a key factor contributing to PE susceptibility in COVID-19 patients.
Abstract

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