Beyond Prediction: Unveiling the Prognostic Power of μ-opioid and Cannabinoid Receptors, Alongside Immune Mediators, in Assessing the Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Overview

Journal BMC Infect Dis

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2024 Apr 12

PMID 38609845

Authors

Masoumeh Tavakoli-Yaraki

Aida Abbasi

Fatemeh Nejat Pishkenari

Saeed Baranipour

Alireza Jahangirifard

Seyed Bashir Mirtajani

Zahra Noorani Mejareh

Mohammad Amin Vaezi

Jila Yavarian

Bahare Abdollahi

Talat Mokhtari-Azad

Vahid Salimi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: This study aims to explore the potential of utilizing the expression levels of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), μ-opioid receptor (MOR), MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin as predictors for the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The overarching goal is to delineate the pathogenic mechanisms associated with SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: Using quantitative Real-time PCR, we analyzed the gene expression levels of CB2 and MOR in nasopharynx specimens obtained from patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, with 46 individuals classified as having severe symptoms and 46 as non-severe. Additionally, we measured the circulating levels of MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin using an ELISA assay. We examined the predictive capabilities of these variables and explored their correlations across all patient groups.

Results: Our results demonstrated a significant increase in MOR gene expression in the epithelium of patients with severe infection. The expression of CB2 receptor was also elevated in both male and female patients with severe symptoms. Furthermore, we observed concurrent rises in MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin levels in patients, which were linked to disease severity. CB2, MOR, MCP-1, IL-17, IFN-γ, and osteopontin showed strong predictive abilities in distinguishing between patients with varying degrees of SARS-CoV-2 severity. Moreover, we identified a significant correlation between CB2 expression and the levels of MOR, MCP-1, osteopontin, and IFN-γ.

Conclusions: These results underline the interconnected nature of molecular mediators in a sequential manner, suggesting that their overexpression may play a role in the development of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

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