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Expression analysis of IFNAR1 and TYK2 transcripts in COVID-19 patients

Mohammadarian Akbari1, Mehdi Akhavan-Bahabadi2, Navid Shafigh3

  • 1Phytochemistry Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Cytokine
|March 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) was down-regulated in male COVID-19 patients, suggesting a role in impaired interferon responses. This finding may explain SARS-CoV-2

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2), a member of the JAK family, is vital for immune response regulation.
  • TYK2 influences the expression of IFNAR1 and the initiation of type I interferon signaling.
  • Dysregulated immune responses are implicated in the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression levels of TYK2 and IFNAR1 in COVID-19 patients.
  • To determine if TYK2 and IFNAR1 levels correlate with disease severity or differentiate cases from controls.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative analysis of TYK2 and IFNAR1 gene expression in venous blood samples.
  • Comparison of expression levels between COVID-19 patients (male/female, ICU/non-ICU) and matched controls.
  • Statistical analysis to assess differential expression and diagnostic potential.

Main Results:

  • TYK2 expression was significantly down-regulated in male COVID-19 patients compared to male controls (RME = 0.34, P = 0.03).
  • No significant differences in TYK2 or IFNAR1 levels were observed between female cases and controls, or based on ICU admission.
  • Neither TYK2 nor IFNAR1 transcripts could reliably differentiate COVID-19 cases from controls or predict disease severity.

Conclusions:

  • Down-regulation of TYK2 in male COVID-19 patients may represent a molecular mechanism contributing to the impaired type I interferon response observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • IFNAR1 expression does not appear to be a significant factor in COVID-19 pathogenesis or severity in this cohort.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the precise role of TYK2 in SARS-CoV-2 and its potential as a biomarker.

Keywords:
BiomarkerCOVID-19ExpressionIFNAR1TYK2

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