MUC5AC gene expression in COVID-19 nasal discharge with rhinorrhea symptoms

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. On May 1, 2021, there were 153 million confirmed positive cases worldwide with a total of 3.2 million deaths. The number of Indonesian cases on November 10, 2021, was recorded at 4,249,323 confirmed positive cases with 143,592 deaths. In COVID-19, rhinorrhea symptoms were found in 4% of cases, while in influenza and the common cold, 91% of cases experienced rhinorrhea. COVID-19 causes epithelial destruction and stimulates local immune response and the release of macrophages, monocytes, inflammatory cytokines, B cells, and T cells. The nasal epithelium is a physical barrier that protects the nasal mucosa from inflammatory agents by producing glycoproteins such as mucin, cytokines, and chemokines.

The study aimed to analyze the relationship between MUC5AC expression in nasal secretions and COVID-19 infection. This research was analytical research with a cross-sectional design. We used stored nasal swab samples at a laboratory designated for COVID-19 detection from 2021 until 2022, the pandemic. Selection of the sample using a simple random sampling technique. The population in this study were patients with a positive (n=40) and negative (n=40) diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by RT-qPCR and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were analyzed using an independent Student's t-test.

The sample characteristics in this study showed that 58% of females and 42% of males were confirmed positive for COVID-19. About 22% of COVID-19 positive cases had runny nose symptoms. The relative expression of MUC5AC increased 9.77 times.

MUC5AC expression is increased in the nasal secretions of COVID-19 patients, but this study found that only 22% of cases experienced symptoms of a runny nose.