MCP-1, IL-6, TMPRSS2, and CRP Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood of COVID-19 Patients with a History of COPD and Comparison with Healthy Individuals
-
Mohammad Bayat
,
Naghmeh Bahrami
,
Mahta Malek
,
Mahsa Sadat Seid Saleh
,
Somayeh Lookzadeh
,
Parvaneh Safarian
,
Mohammad Varahram
,
Mehdi Kazem Pour Dizaji
,
Abdolreza Mohamadnia
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with persistent airway inflammation and an increased risk of adverse outcomes following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While the lower airways have been the primary focus of most studies, the upper respiratory tract plays a critical role in SARS-CoV-2 entry and early symptom development. Inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as the viral entry–related protease TMPRSS2, are involved in both COPD-associated inflammation and COVID-19 pathogenesis. This study investigated the expression of these markers in COVID-19 patients with underlying COPD. Materials and Methods: In this case–control study, peripheral blood samples were collected from COVID-19 patients with a documented history of COPD and from age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Total RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed into cDNA, and relative mRNA expression levels of IL-6, MCP-1, CRP, and TMPRSS2 were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analyses were performed using parametric tests, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05. Results: Compared with healthy controls, COVID-19 patients with COPD demonstrated significantly higher mRNA expression levels of IL-6, MCP-1, and CRP (p < 0.05). TMPRSS2 expression was also elevated in the patient group, indicating a potential contribution to enhanced viral entry. Overall, the findings revealed a distinct inflammatory expression profile in patients with COPD during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusion: The increased expression of IL-6, MCP-1, CRP, and TMPRSS2 in COVID-19 patients with underlying COPD suggests a combined effect of chronic inflammation and viral entry mechanisms. These markers may be valuable as accessible blood-based indicators of disease severity, although further studies are needed. Keywords: COVID-19; COPD; Gene expression; IL-6; MCP-1; TMPRSS2; C-reactive protein.
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25. Lechien JR, Radulesco T, Calvo-Henriquez C, Chiesa-Estomba CM, Hans S, Barillari MR, et al. ACE2 & TMPRSS2 expressions in head & neck tissues: a systematic review. Head and neck pathology. 2021;15(1):225-35.
2. Hurst JR, Wilkinson TM, Donaldson GC, Wedzicha JA. Upper airway symptoms and quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Respiratory medicine. 2004;98(8):767-70.
3. Kim J-S, Rubin BK. Nasal and sinus inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 2007;4(2):163-6.
4. Barnes PJ. Inflammatory mechanisms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2016;138(1):16-27.
5. Mettelman RC, Allen EK, Thomas PG. Mucosal immune responses to infection and vaccination in the respiratory tract. Immunity. 2022;55(5):749-80.
6. Rizo-Téllez SA, Sekheri M, Filep JG. C-reactive protein: a target for therapy to reduce inflammation. Frontiers in immunology. 2023;14:1237729.
7. Ridker PM, Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Rifai N. C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation in the prediction of cardiovascular disease in women. New England journal of medicine. 2000;342(12):836-43.
8. Jackson CB, Farzan M, Chen B, Choe H. Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells. Nature reviews Molecular cell biology. 2022;23(1):3-20.
9. Hoffmann M, Kleine-Weber H, Krüger N, Müller M, Drosten C, Pöhlmann S. The novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) uses the SARS-coronavirus receptor ACE2 and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for entry into target cells. BioRxiv. 2020:2020.01. 31.929042.
10. Sharif-Askari NS, Sharif-Askari FS, Alabed M, Temsah M-H, Al Heialy S, Hamid Q, et al. Airways expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor, ACE2, and TMPRSS2 is lower in children than adults and increases with smoking and COPD. Molecular therapy methods & clinical development. 2020;18:1-6.
11. Del Valle DM, Kim-Schulze S, Huang H-H, Beckmann ND, Nirenberg S, Wang B, et al. An inflammatory cytokine signature predicts COVID-19 severity and survival. Nature medicine. 2020;26(10):1636-43.
12. Attaway AA, Zein J, Hatipoğlu US. SARS-CoV-2 infection in the COPD population is associated with increased healthcare utilization: An analysis of Cleveland clinic's COVID-19 registry. EClinicalMedicine. 2020;26.
13. Wark PA, Tooze M, Powell H, Parsons K. Viral and bacterial infection in acute asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increases the risk of readmission. Respirology. 2013;18(6):996-1002.
14. Alamdari MK, Mohamadnia A, Bayat M, Farhangiyan M, Bahrami N. Comparing the Expression Levels of GCG and FBN-1 in the Plasma of Patients with Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Healthy Individuals. Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Research. 2025:86-92.
15. Babaei P, Abbasi AJ, Mohamadnia A, Malek M, Farhangiyan M, Bahrami N. Evaluation of NCBP2 Gene Expression in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Compared to Healthy Individuals. Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Research. 2025:100-5.
16. Shahriyari S, Fotook Kiaei SZ, Mohamadnia A, Farhangiyan M, Bahrami N. Investigating the Level of MUC5B Expression in the Plasma of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Compared to Healthy Individuals. Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Research. 2025;12(3).
17. Ghadimi K, Bahrami N, Fathi M, Farzanegan B, Naji T, Emami M, et al. Diagnostic value of LunX mRNA and CEA mRNA expression in pleural fluid of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Minerva Pneumologica. 2017;56(2):90-5.
18. Karimi S, Bahrami N, Sharifi K, Daustany M, Baghbani-Arani F, Kazempour M, et al. Investigating gene expression level of MUC1 and CEA in pleural fluid of NSCLC lung cancer patients with real-time RT-PCR method. Minerva Pneumol. 2017;56(1):18-24.
19. Liu QQ, Cheng A, Wang Y, Li H, Hu L, Zhao X, et al. Cytokines and their relationship with the severity and prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a retrospective cohort study. BMJ open. 2020;10(11):e041471.
20. Deshmane SL, Kremlev S, Amini S, Sawaya BE. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1): an overview. Journal of interferon & cytokine research. 2009;29(6):313-26.
21. Chen X-R, Wang D-X. Serum MCP-1 and NGAL play an important role in the acute inflammatory event of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. 2021;18(4):425-31.
22. Pepys MB. C-reactive protein fifty years on. The Lancet. 1981;317(8221):653-7.
23. Whitsett JA. Airway epithelial differentiation and mucociliary clearance. Annals of the American thoracic society. 2018;15(Supplement 3):S143-S8.
24. Huang C, Li Q, Xu W, Chen L. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of liver dysfunction in COVID-19. Discovery Medicine. 2020;30(160):107-12.
25. Lechien JR, Radulesco T, Calvo-Henriquez C, Chiesa-Estomba CM, Hans S, Barillari MR, et al. ACE2 & TMPRSS2 expressions in head & neck tissues: a systematic review. Head and neck pathology. 2021;15(1):225-35.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 13, No 2 (Spring 2026) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| COVID-19; COPD; Gene expression; IL-6; MCP-1; TMPRSS2; C-reactive protein. | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Bayat M, Bahrami N, Malek M, Seid Saleh MS, Lookzadeh S, Safarian P, Varahram M, Kazem Pour Dizaji M, Mohamadnia A. MCP-1, IL-6, TMPRSS2, and CRP Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood of COVID-19 Patients with a History of COPD and Comparison with Healthy Individuals. J Craniomaxillofac Res. 2026;2026(2):185-193.
