SARS-CoV-2 ORF7 subgenomic RNA and Host IFN-β Expression in COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients with Different Prognosis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Akbar Zirakjou 1
Farzin Sadeghi 2
Arefeh Ebrahimian Shiadeh 3
Maryam Hatamibardar 1
Mohammad Ranaee 4
Hemmat Gholinia 5
Hossein Ghorbani 4 , 6
1 Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
2 Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
3 Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Science, Gorgan, Iran.
4 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
5 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute,Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
6 Cancer Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
10.22088/IJMCM.BUMS.14.2.726
Abstract
The worldwide spread of COVID-19, triggered by SARS-CoV-2, has highlighted how
viral accessory proteins contribute significantly to bypassing host immune defenses
and increasing illness severity. This study investigates the relationship between the
levels of SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) for ORF7a and ORF7b and host
interferon-beta (IFN-β) expression in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with different
prognoses. Upper respiratory tract samples from 89 patients (49 with poor prognosis
and 40 with good prognosis) were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR to
measure ORF7a, ORF7b, and IFN-β expression levels. The results revealed
significantly higher expression of ORF7a and ORF7b in patients with poor prognosis
compared to those with favorable outcomes (P < 0.001). Conversely, IFN-β expression
was significantly reduced in the poor prognosis group (P < 0.001), suggesting a
potential mechanism of immune suppression. Older age, underlying health conditions,
and elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as CRP and D-dimer, were also
associated with poorer outcomes. These findings underscore the potential role of ORF7
proteins in suppressing IFN-β signaling, contributing to disease severity. Targeting
these viral proteins may offer promising therapeutic avenues to enhance antiviral
responses and improve patient outcomes. The study was conducted from August 2022
to February 2022. Further research is warranted to better understand the interplay
between viral immune evasion mechanisms and host responses across diverse patient
populations.
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, sgRNA,