Assessment of trec and krec levels in COVID-19 patients with varying disease severity
- Authors: Saitgalina M.A.1, Ostankova Y.V.1, Arsentieva N.A.1, Korobova Z.R.1, Liubimova N.E.1, Kashchenko V.A.2,3, Kulikov A.N.4, Pevtsov D.E.4, Stanevich O.V.4,5, Chernykh E.I.2, Totolian A.A.1,4
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Affiliations:
- St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute
- North-Western District Scientific and Clinical Center named after L.G. Sokolov Federal Medical and Biological Agency
- St. Petersburg State University
- I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza
- Issue: Vol 13, No 5 (2023)
- Pages: 873-884
- Section: ORIGINAL ARTICLES
- URL: https://journal-vniispk.ru/2220-7619/article/view/158890
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.15789/2220-7619-AOT-16937
- ID: 158890
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Abstract
According to the WHO data, the number of infected people exceeded 765.2 million people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The severity of patient’s condition is determined by immune system hyperactivation. Activation of T- and B-lymphocyte subsets plays a prominent role in the control of infectious process. A content of small circular DNA molecules — T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC — T-cell receptor excision circles) and B-cell (“kappa”) excision rings (KREC — Kappa-deleting recombination excision circles) — in the peripheral blood can be used as a marker of the functionally active T and B cells maturation. The purpose of this work is to quantify peripheral blood TREC and KREC level in patients with the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 of varying severity. Materials and methods. The material consisted of 1028 blood samples from patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, as well as 717 blood samples from apparently healthy volunteers. The content of TREC and KREC DNA fragments in the total DNA fraction was assessed by quantitative Real-time PCR using the “TREC/KREC-AMP PS” test system (St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia). Blood cell phenotyping was carried out using flow cytometry. Results. TREC/KREC levels were significantly reduced in COVID-19 patients (p < 0.0001 at 95% CI). A significant direct correlation was established between the levels of peripheral blood TREC molecules and level of CD45+CD3+CD19– T cells (r = 0.59, p < 0.0001), as well as between KREC level and count of CD45+CD3–CD19+ B cells (r = 0.66, p < 0.0001). The level of TREC molecules in patients with severe vs. moderate infection was significantly reduced in patients aged 30–39 years old (p = 0.0404) and 40–49 years old (p = 0.0356). The negative correlation between severity of COVID-19 clinical manifestations and TREC level in the blood of patients in 30–49 year age group indicates about an opportunity of using this analyte as a diagnostic and prognostic laboratory marker of patient’s condition. A simple PCR analysis algorithm makes it relevant to use the described method for assessing a state of immunity in coronavirus patients in the context of systemic negative impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on human organism.
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##article.viewOnOriginalSite##About the authors
M. A. Saitgalina
St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute
Email: Sajgalinam@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7603-3269
Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgYulia V. Ostankova
St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute
Email: shenna1@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2270-8897
PhD (Biology), Head of the Laboratory of HIV Immunology and Virology; Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgNatalia A. Arsentieva
St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute
Email: arsentieva_n.a@bk.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2490-308X
PhD (Biology), Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgZoya R. Korobova
St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute
Email: zoia-korobova@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0535-5014
Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgNatalia E. Liubimova
St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute
Email: natelu@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0003-7092-6773
PhD (Biology), Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgVictor A. Kashchenko
North-Western District Scientific and Clinical Center named after L.G. Sokolov Federal Medical and Biological Agency; St. Petersburg State University
Email: surg122@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8822-9165
DSc (Medicine), Professor, Deputy-Director for Scientific and Educational Work; Head of the Department of Faculty Surgery
Russian Federation, St. Petersburg; St. PetersburgAlexandr N. Kulikov
I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation
Email: ankulikov2005@yandex.ru
DSc (Medicine), Professor, Head of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases
Russian Federation, St. PetersburgDmitry E. Pevtsov
I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation
Email: dmitriipevtcov@gmail.com
PhD (Medicine), Transfusiologist, Head of the Blood Transfusion Department, Raisa Gorbacheva Memorial Research Institute of Children Oncology, Hematology and Transplantation
St. PetersburgOksana V. Stanevich
I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation; Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza
Email: oksana.stanevich@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6894-6121
Infectious Disease Physician, Department of Epidemiology of Clinics
St. Petersburg; St. PetersburgEkaterina I. Chernykh
North-Western District Scientific and Clinical Center named after L.G. Sokolov Federal Medical and Biological Agency
Email: ekaterina_cherny@mail.ru
DSc (Medicine), Admitting Physician
Russian FederationAreg A. Totolian
St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute; I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation
Author for correspondence.
Email: totolian@pasteurorg.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4571-8799
RAS Full Member, PhD, MD (Medicine), Professor, Director; Head of the Department of Immunology
Russian Federation, St. Petersburg; St. PetersburgReferences
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