Epigenetic Clocks Are Not Accelerated in COVID-19 Patients

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2021 Sep 10

PMID 34502212

Citations 23

Authors

Julia Franzen

Selina Nuchtern

Vithurithra Tharmapalan

Margherita Vieri

Milos Nikolic

Yang Han

Paul Balfanz

Nikolaus Marx

Michael Dreher

Tim H Brummendorf

Edgar Dahl

Fabian Beier

Wolfgang Wagner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Age is a major risk factor for severe outcome of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In this study, we followed the hypothesis that particularly patients with accelerated epigenetic age are affected by severe outcomes of COVID-19. We investigated various DNA methylation datasets of blood samples with epigenetic aging signatures and performed targeted bisulfite amplicon sequencing. Overall, epigenetic clocks closely correlated with the chronological age of patients, either with or without acute respiratory distress syndrome. Furthermore, lymphocytes did not reveal significantly accelerated telomere attrition. Thus, these biomarkers cannot reliably predict higher risk for severe COVID-19 infection in elderly patients.

Citing Articles

EpiAge: a next-generation sequencing-based epigenetic clock for biological age assessment in saliva and blood across health and disease.

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The COVID-19 legacy: consequences for the human DNA methylome and therapeutic perspectives.

Gaetano C, Atlante S, Gottardi Zamperla M, Barbi V, Gentilini D, Illi B Geroscience. 2024; 47(1):483-501.

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Profiling the transcriptomic age of single-cells in humans.

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Epigenetic patterns, accelerated biological aging, and enhanced epigenetic drift detected 6 months following COVID-19 infection: insights from a genome-wide DNA methylation study.

Calzari L, Dragani D, Zanotti L, Inglese E, Danesi R, Cavagnola R Clin Epigenetics. 2024; 16(1):112.

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Revealing the Hidden Impacts: Insights into Biological Aging and Long-Term Effects in Pauci- and Asymptomatic COVID-19 Healthcare Workers.

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