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Molecular Research on SARS-CoV-2

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 7047

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Prof. Dr. Nils-Olaf Hübner

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Guest Editor

Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine with Central Unit for Infection Control and Prevention, University Medicine Greifswald, D-17475 Greifswald, Germany
Interests: epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The SARS-COV-2 virus has triggered one of the most medically, socially and economically severe pandemics of the last decades. A special feature of this pandemic is the rapid change of the virus by mutations. Ultimately, the emergence of ever new variants has shaped the course of the pandemic as a sequence of waves following one another in quick succession. It is a triumph of molecular diagnostics that we understand this principle at all today: a few years ago, a broad genetic analysis and surveillance of the pandemic virus would still have been science fiction. At the same time, knowledge of the molecular background of the pandemic also opens up new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating infections.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences brings together original research articles and review articles in the field of genomic diagnostics and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 as well as their application to public health, infection prevention and therapy.

Prof. Dr. Nils-Olaf Hübner
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
molecular surveillance
variants
molecular epidemiology
infection prevention
outbreak
therapy
diagnostic

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Genome and Viral Nucleocapsid in Various Organs and Systems

by George Călin Oprinca, Cosmin-Ioan Mohor, Alina-Simona Bereanu, Lilioara-Alexandra Oprinca-Muja, Iancu Bogdan-Duică, Sorin Radu Fleacă, Adrian Hașegan, Atasie Diter, Ioana Boeraș, Adrian Nicolae Cristian, Elena-Teodora Tâlvan and Călin Ilie Mohor

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(11), 5755; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25115755 - 25 May 2024

Viewed by 727

Abstract

While considerable attention has been devoted to respiratory manifestations, such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), emerging evidence underlines the significance of extrapulmonary involvement. In this study, we examined 15 hospitalized patients who succumbed to severe complications following SARS-CoV-2 infection. These patients were admitted to the Sibiu County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Sibiu, Romania, between March and October 2021. All patients were ethnic Romanians. Conducted within a COVID-19-restricted environment and adhering to national safety protocols, autopsies provided a comprehensive understanding of the disease’s multisystemic impact. Detailed macroscopic evaluations and histopathological analyses of myocardial, renal, hepatic, splenic, and gastrointestinal tissues were performed. Additionally, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rt-qPCR) assays and immunohistochemical staining were employed to detect the viral genome and nucleocapsid within the tissues. Myocardial lesions, including ischemic microstructural changes and inflammatory infiltrates, were prevalent, indicative of COVID-19’s cardiac implications, while renal pathology revealed the chronic alterations, acute tubular necrosis, and inflammatory infiltrates most evident. Hepatic examination identified hepatocellular necroinflammatory changes and hepatocytic cytopathy, highlighting the hepatic involvement of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Splenic parenchymal disorganization was prominent, indicating systemic immune dysregulation. Furthermore, gastrointestinal examinations unveiled nonspecific changes. Molecular analyses detected viral genes in various organs, with immunohistochemical assays confirming viral presence predominantly in macrophages and fibroblasts. These findings highlighted the systemic nature of SARS-CoV-2 infection, emphasizing the need for comprehensive clinical management strategies and targeted therapeutic approaches beyond respiratory systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on SARS-CoV-2)

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10 pages, 765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The rs16969968 Tobacco Smoking-Related Single-Nucleotide Variant Is Associated with Clinical Markers in Patients with Severe COVID-19

by Daniela Valencia-Pérez Rea, Ramcés Falfán-Valencia, Ingrid Fricke-Galindo, Ivette Buendía-Roldán, Leslie Chávez-Galán, Karol J. Nava-Quiroz, Jesús Alanis-Ponce and Gloria Pérez-Rubio

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 9811; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24129811 - 6 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1652

Abstract

Tobacco smoking is the leading risk factor for many respiratory diseases. Several genes are associated with nicotine addiction, such as CHRNA5 and ADAM33. This research aims to evaluate the association of the polymorphisms rs16969968 (CHRNA5) and rs3918396 (ADAM33) in patients who developed severe COVID-19. We included 917 COVID-19 patients hospitalized with critical disease and oxygenation impairment. They were divided into two groups, tobacco-smoking (n = 257) and non-smoker (n = 660) patients. The genotype and allele frequencies of two single nucleotide variants, the rs16969968 (CHRNA5) and rs3918396 (ADAM33), were evaluated. The rs3918396 in ADAM33 does not show a significative association. We analyzed the study population according to the rs16969968 genotype (GA + AA, n = 180, and GG, n = 737). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) shows statistical differences; the GA + AA group had higher values than the GG group (p = 0.038, 32 vs. 26 mm/h, respectively). The smoking patients and GA or AA genotype carriers had a high positive correlation (p < 0.001, rho = 0.753) between fibrinogen and C-reactive protein. COVID-19 patients and smokers carriers of one or two copies of the risk allele (rs16969968/A) have high ESR and a positive correlation between fibrinogen and C-reactive protein. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on SARS-CoV-2)

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11 pages, 663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The ACE rs1799752 Variant Is Associated with COVID-19 Severity but Is Independent of Serum ACE Activity in Hospitalized and Recovered Patients

by Ingrid Fricke-Galindo, Ivette Buendia-Roldan, Daniel I. Ponce-Aguilar, Gloria Pérez-Rubio, Leslie Chavez-Galan, Jesús Alanis-Ponce, Karina Pérez-Torres, Daniela Valencia-Pérez Rea, Fernanda Téllez-Quijada, Karol J. Nava-Quiroz, Rafael de Jesús Hernández-Zenteno, Angélica Gutiérrez-Nava and Ramcés Falfán-Valencia

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7678; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087678 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

This paper assesses the association of the insertion/deletion ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) variant (rs1799752 I/D) and the serum ACE activity with the severity of COVID-19 as well as its impact on post-COVID-19, and we compare these associations with those for patients with non-COVID-19 respiratory disorders. We studied 1252 patients with COVID-19, 104 subjects recovered from COVID-19, and 74 patients hospitalized with a respiratory disease different from COVID-19. The rs1799752 ACE variant was assessed using TaqMan^® Assays. The serum ACE activity was determined using a colorimetric assay. The DD genotype was related to risk for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) requirement as an indicator of COVID-19 severity when compared to the frequencies of II + ID genotypes (p = 0.025, OR = 1.428, 95% CI = 1.046–1.949). In addition, this genotype was significantly higher in COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 groups than in the non-COVID-19 subjects. The serum ACE activity levels were lower in the COVID-19 group (22.30 U/L (13.84–32.23 U/L)), which was followed by the non-COVID-19 (27.94 U/L (20.32–53.36 U/L)) and post-COVID-19 subjects (50.00 U/L (42.16–62.25 U/L)). The DD genotype of the rs1799752 ACE variant was associated with the IMV requirement in patients with COVID-19, and low serum ACE activity levels could be related to patients with severe disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on SARS-CoV-2)

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Review

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22 pages, 2256 KiB

Open AccessReview

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Based on Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) and Its Integration into Nanomedicine and Microfluidic Devices as Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)

by Alexis Dorta-Gorrín, Jesús Navas-Méndez, Mónica Gozalo-Margüello, Laura Miralles and Lorena García-Hevia

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 10233; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210233 - 16 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1697

Abstract

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has highlighted the criticality of an accurate and rapid diagnosis in order to contain the spread of the virus. Knowledge of the viral structure and its genome is essential for diagnosis development. The virus is still quickly evolving and the global scenario could easily change. Thus, a greater range of diagnostic options is essential to face this threat to public health. In response to the global demand, there has been a rapid advancement in the understanding of current diagnostic methods. In fact, innovative approaches have emerged, leveraging the benefits of nanomedicine and microfluidic technologies. Although this development has been incredibly fast, several key areas require further investigation and optimization, such as sample collection and preparation, assay optimization and sensitivity, cost effectiveness, scalability device miniaturization, and portability and integration with smartphones. Addressing these gaps in the knowledge and these technological challenges will contribute to the development of reliable, sensitive, and user-friendly NAAT-based POCTs for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases, facilitating rapid and effective patient management. This review aims to provide an overview of current SARS-CoV-2 detection methods based on nucleic acid detection tests (NAATs). Additionally, it explores promising approaches that combine nanomedicine and microfluidic devices with high sensitivity and relatively fast ‘time to answer’ for integration into point-of-care testing (POCT). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on SARS-CoV-2)

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