Expression level of the angiotensin 2 (ACE2) gene in patients with COVID-19

Year 2021, Volume: 46 Issue: 4, 1508 - 1515, 30.12.2021

Ebubekir Dirican , İsmail Erkan Aydın , Şeyda Savrun

https://doi.org/10.17826/cumj.982658

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Purpose: Coronavirus disease -19 (COVID-19) is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2). The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) can play a vital role in regulating the pathological changes of various diseases, including COVID-19. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of the ACE2 gene in Turkish COVID-19 patients.
Materials and Methods: Eighty COVID-19 PCR test positive patients and 80 PCR test negative healthy volunteers were included in the study. RNA isolation was carried out from all samples. The RT-PCR device was used to analyze the expression of the ACE2 gene.
Results: A significant difference was found in the age, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels of the COVID-19 patients compared to the healthy volunteers. Based on the gene expression results, it was found that ACE2 gene expression was significantly higher in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy volunteers. In patients with COVID-19, a significant difference was found between the expression of the ACE2 gene and the levels of Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Hemoglobin (HGB), Hematocrit (HCT) and CRP.
Conclusion: ACE2 gene expression was high in the COVID-19 patients and showed differences based on clinical data. Thus, the expression of ACE2 can have paradoxical effects that support the pathogenicity of SARSCoV2 but, conversely, limit viral infection. The availability of ACE2 receptors may increase the susceptibility and / or disease course of COVID-19.

Keywords

COVID-19, ACE-2, Lactate dehydrogenase, CRP, BUN, Hemoglobin

COVID-19 hastalarında anjiyotensin 2 (ACE2) genin ekspresyon seviyesi

Abstract

Amaç: Coronavirus hastalığı-19 (COVID-19), şiddetli akut solunum sendromu koronavirüs 2'den (SARS-CoV-2) kaynaklanır. Anjiyotensin dönüştürücü enzim 2 (ACE2), COVID-19 dahil olmak üzere çeşitli hastalıkların patolojik değişikliklerini düzenlemede hayati bir rol oynayabilir. Bu çalışmanın amacı ACE2 genin ekspresyonunu Türk COVID-19 hastalarında analiz etmekti.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu çalışmada 80 COVID-19 PCR testi pozitif hasta ve 80 PCR testi negatif olan sağlıklı gönüllü birey çalışmaya dahil edildi. Tüm örneklerden RNA izolasyonu yapıldı. ACE2 geninin ekspresyonunu analiz etmek için RT-PZR cihazı kullanıldı.
Bulgular: COVID-19 hastalarının yaş, Laktat dehidrojenaz (LDH), ferritin ve C-reaktif protein (CRP) seviyelerinde sağlıklı gönüllülere kıyasla anlamlı bir fark bulundu. Gen ekspresyon sonuçlarına göre, ACE2 geni ekspresyonu COVID-19 hastalarında sağlıklı gönüllülere kıyasla anlamlı derecede yüksek bulundu. COVID-19 hastalarında ACE2 geninin ekspresyonu ile Kan üre nitrojeni (BUN), Hemoglobin (HGB), Hematokrit (HCT) ve CRP seviyeleri arasında anlamlı bir fark bulundu.
Sonuç: ACE2 gen ekspresyonu COVID-19 hastalarında yüksek bulundu ve klinik verilere göre farklılıklar gösterdi. Bu nedenle, ACE2'nin ekspresyonu, SARSCoV2'nin patojenitesini destekleyen ancak tersine viral enfeksiyonu sınırlayan paradoksal etkilere sahip olabilir. ACE2 reseptörlerinin mevcudiyeti, COVID-19'un duyarlılığını ve/veya hastalık seyrini artırabilir.

Keywords

COVID-19, ACE-2, Laktat dehidrogenaz, CRP, BUN, Hemoglobin

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