RNA N6-Methyladenosine Pathway Writer Genes Expression Levels and Clinical Severity of Infection in Covid-19 Patients

Abstract

Epigenetic modifications are known to be effective in the severity and mortality rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection. N6-methyladenosin (m6A) is a posttranscriptional modification that is carried out by m6A methyltransferases (METTL3, METTL14, and WTAP). This modification is effective in the formation of a natural immune response in the relationship between the viral genome and the host cell. In this study, the relationship between clinical severity and METTL3, METTL14, WTAP expression levels in Covid-19 patients was studied for the first time. Also, patients’ D-dimer, ferritin, and C-reactive protein values were compared with these gene expression levels. Total RNA was extracted from blood samples of 100 volunteers and gene expressions were measured using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. It was determined that METTL3 (p < 0.001) and METTL14 (p = 0.005) genes were statistically significant between case and control. In addition, METTL14 (p = 0.007) and WTAP (p = 0.015) gene expressions were significantly increased in patients with severe disease. METTL14 was statistically significant between the male patients and the control (fold change = 63.87, p = 0.015). Overexpression of the METTL14 gene may have resulted in higher clinical severity in males. Our results demonstrate that host N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methyltransferases may be effective in the development of SARS-CoV-2 infection and prognosis of the disease.