Defining post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) by an epigenetic biosignature in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Frida Nikesjö; Shumaila Sayyab; Lovisa Karlsson; Eirini Apostolou; Anders Rosén; Kristofer Hedman; Maria Lerm

doi:10.1186/s13148-022-01398-1

Defining post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) by an epigenetic biosignature in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Clin Epigenetics. 2022 Dec 14;14(1):172. doi: 10.1186/s13148-022-01398-1.

Authors

Frida Nikesjö¹, Shumaila Sayyab², Lovisa Karlsson³, Eirini Apostolou⁴, Anders Rosén⁴, Kristofer Hedman⁵, Maria Lerm⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine in Linköping, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
² Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Campus US, Medical Microbiology, Lab1, Floor 12, 581 85, Linköping, Sweden. shumaila.sayyab@liu.se.
³ Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Campus US, Medical Microbiology, Lab1, Floor 12, 581 85, Linköping, Sweden.
⁴ Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Clinical Physiology, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
⁶ Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Campus US, Medical Microbiology, Lab1, Floor 12, 581 85, Linköping, Sweden. maria.lerm@liu.se.

Abstract

Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) has been defined as symptoms persisting after clearance of a COVID-19 infection. We have previously demonstrated that alterations in DNA methylation (DNAm) status persist in individuals who recovered from a COVID-19 infection, but it is currently unknown if PACS is associated with epigenetic changes. We compared DNAm patterns in patients with PACS with those in controls and in healthy COVID-19 convalescents and found a unique DNAm signature in PACS patients. This signature unravelled modified pathways that regulate angiotensin II and muscarinic receptor signalling and protein-protein interaction networks that have bearings on vesicle formation and mitochondrial function.

Keywords: Biosignature; COVID-19; DNA methylation; Epigenetics; PACS; PBMC; Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / genetics
DNA Methylation
Epigenesis, Genetic
Humans
Leukocytes, Mononuclear*
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome