Extremes of age are associated with differences in the expression of selected pattern recognition receptor genes and ACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2: implications for the epidemiology of COVID-19 disease

Stephen W Bickler,Romeo C Ignacio,James M Prieto,David M Cauvi,David A Lazar,Antonio De Maio,Hariharan Thangarajah,Dale R Gerstmann,Philip E Bickler,Allen F Ryan,Kathleen M Fisch,Alicia G Sykes

doi:10.1186/s12920-021-00970-7

Abstract

BackgroundOlder aged adults and those with pre-existing conditions are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 associated outcomes.MethodsUsing a large dataset of genome-wide RNA-seq profiles derived from human dermal fibroblasts (GSE113957) we investigated whether age affects the expression of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) genes and ACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2.ResultsExtremes of age are associated with increased expression of selected PRR genes, ACE2 and four genes that encode proteins that have been shown to interact with SAR2-CoV-2 proteins.ConclusionsAssessment of PRR expression might provide a strategy for stratifying the risk of severe COVID-19 disease at both the individual and population levels.

Highlights

Older aged adults and those with pre-existing conditions are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 associated outcomes
Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play crucial roles in the innate immune response by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and molecules derived from damaged cells, referred to as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) [5, 6]
We leveraged this approach to investigate the affect aging has on PRR and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme II (ACE2) gene expression

Summary

Introduction

Older aged adults and those with pre-existing conditions are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 associated outcomes. Those with underlying conditions such as diabetes mellitus, chronic lung disease and cardiovascular disease are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 associated outcomes [2]. PRRs are coupled to intracellular signaling cascades that. Humans have several distinct classes of PRRs, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs), RIG-like receptors (RLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) and intracellular DNA sensors [8]. PRRs play a critical role in the inflammatory response induced by viruses and are important determinants of outcome [9,10,11,12]

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Discussion

Conclusion