Genotoxic effect of SARS-CoV-2 on immunocompetent cells

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Abstract

Introduction. In present, the medical community continues to study the impact of coronavirus infection on various organs and systems of the body. Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes multifaceted pathological processes and, among other things, affects the cells of the circulatory system.

Objective: To assess the degree of DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Material and methods. 200 patients took part in the study. The control group consisted of conditionally healthy individuals matched by gender and age (n=50). The degree of DNA damage was assessed using the DNA comet assay in an alkaline medium. The assessment parameters included: tail length (TL) (pc), percentage of damaged DNA in the tail (Tail DNA, %), tail moment (conventional units) and Olive moment (conventional units).

Results. The average values of the parameters of comet DNA of patients in the acute period of coronavirus infection were: TL 95.18±5.7 pc, percentage of damaged DNA in the tail (Tail DNA%) 70.82±7.12%, tail moment 68.52±8.58 conventional units, Olive moment 41.11±4.46 conventional units. When comparing the parameters of comet DNA of lymphocytes of conditionally healthy individuals and patients in the acute period of coronavirus infection associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a significant increase (p < 0.001) in these parameters is noted, which indicates an increase in the content of fragmented and damaged DNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes in sick individuals.

Conclusion. The obtained results prove the powerful genotoxic effect of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on human cells.

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About the authors

Natalya Gennadievna Plekhova

Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education "Pacific State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Author for correspondence.
Email: pl_nat@hotmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8701-7213

Ph.D., Associate Professor, Head of Interdisciplinary Research Center

Russian Federation, Ostryakova Ave., 2, Vladivostok, 690002

Alexander Olegovich Mikhailov

Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education "Pacific State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: mao1991@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2719-3629

Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases

Russian Federation, Ostryakova Ave., 2, Vladivostok, 690002

Svetlana Anatolyevna Sokotun

Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education "Pacific State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: sokotun.s@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3807-3259

Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases

Russian Federation, Ostryakova Ave., 2, Vladivostok, 690002

Anna Ivanovna Simakova

Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education "Pacific State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: anna-inf@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3334-4673

Ph.D., Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases

Russian Federation, Ostryakova Ave., 2, Vladivostok, 690002

Nikita Alexandrovich Zmitrovich

ФГБУ ВО «Тихоокеанский государственный медицинский университет» Министерства здравоохранения Российской Федерации

Email: zmitrovich199919@mail.ru

6th year student, specialty 30.05.01 Medical Biochemistry

Russian Federation, 690002, Владивосток, пр. Острякова, 2

Ksenia Alexandrovna Dmitrenko

Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education "Pacific State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: ksdmitrenko@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6571-4555

Assistant Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases

Russian Federation, Ostryakova Ave., 2, Vladivostok, 690002

Elena Vladimirovna Gudzenko

State Budgetary Healthcare Institution "Regional Blood Transfusion Station"

Email: gudzenko@primspk.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-0757-4363

Deputy Chief Physician for Medical Affairs

Russian Federation, Oktyabrskaya St., 6, Vladivostok, 690090

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2. Fig. 1. DNA comets of lymphocytes of the control group. Note. a – the head of the comet and the tail (pink) of the DNA comet, segmented in the CaspLab program; б – graphic profile of the luminescence of the DNA comet; в – head (red line), tail (green line), pk.

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3. Fig. 2. DNA comets of lymphocytes of patients with coronavirus infection (acute period) Note. a – the head (red range) and tail (pink range) of the DNA comet segmented in the CaspLab program; б – graphic profile of the luminescence of the DNA comet: head (red line), tail (green line); в – lymphocytes of patients in the acute period of SARS-CoV-2 virus disease, fluorescence microscopy, ethidium bromide staining, pk.

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4. Fig. 3. Diagram of the TL of a DNA comet of lymphocytes of conditionally healthy individuals (control group) and patients with coronavirus infection associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (acute period), pk Note: * – at p<0.001.

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5. Fig. 4. Diagram of the percentage of damaged DNA in the tail of a DNA comet in a control group of conditionally healthy people and patients with coronavirus infection associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (acute period), % Note: * – at p<0.001.

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6. Fig. 5. Diagram of the caudal moment indicator of a DNA comet in a control group of conditionally healthy people and patients with coronavirus infection associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (acute period) Note: * – at p<0.001.

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