Baseline DNA methylation profile predicts severe SARS-CoV-2 development trajectory.

Speaker: Fei-Man Hsu, Ph.D.
IDRE Fellow
Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
University of California Los Angeles
Date: September 27, 2024
Abstract: DNA methylation is associated with pathogenesis and disease progression. The IMPACC cohort includes hospitalized COVID-19 participants with five respiratory illness trajectory groups (TGs) according to the prognosis during acute infection (first 28 days). We report the longitudinal DNA methylation profiling of PBMC from 75 participants of IMPACC cohort in UCLA and find (1) DNA methylation is associated with respiratory status and days post-admission, (2) T cell depletion and band neutrophil backlog were observed during acute infection, and (3) Baseline DNA methylation profiles bear prediction power of follow-up risk course. The characterized CpG loci function in immune cell differentiation and STAT protein phosphorylation suggests an epigenetic-regulated SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.