• Long non coding RNAs and COVID-19; AVAN as a potential biomarker
  • Zahra Sefatjoo,1 Seyed Reza Mohebbi,2,* Seyed Masoud Hosseini,3 Sharzad Shoraka,4 Hamid Asadzadeh-Aghdaei,5 Mohammad Reza Zali,6
    1. Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
    2. Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    3. Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
    4. Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    5. Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    6. Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a large class of non-coding RNAs, are identified as crucial transcriptions that play active roles in a wide range of biological pathways, such as the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. lncRNA AVAN was characterized from Influenza A virus (IAV)-infected patients’ neutrophils by RNA-Seq for the first time. RNA viruses can stimulate this lncRNA which leads to boost neutrophil activation and Type I interferon (IFN I) production and consequently, defenses against IAV infection, through promoting the interaction between two major immune response factors; TRIM25 and RIG-I. COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread entirely over the world, and host immune responses against this infection have become the most attractive topic among scientists for molecular research. Moreover, the type I IFN pathway is also an essential immune response that produces interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in protection against SARS-CoV-2, according to recent studies. In this study, we hypothesized that blood level of AVAN has a probable association with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • Methods: In this case-control study, we collected blood samples from 14 COVID-19 patients in comparison with 14 healthy controls who were referred to Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science. RiboEX™ total RNA extraction solution (GeneAll, Seoul, South Korea) was used for total RNA isolation. After cDNA synthesis of isolated RNA, we detected the level of lncRNA AVAN by quantitative real-time PCR. GraphPad Prism app and 2-∆∆Ct method were our analytic instruments in this study. Also, diagnostic accuracy was evaluated through ROC curve analysis.
  • Results: Based on the result, the lncRNA AVAN levels in COVID-19 patients’ buffy coat, showed a significant up-regulation in comparison to the control group (Fold change=399.208, P-value <0.0001). The area under the curve (AUC) of AVAN for diagnosing COVID-19 compared to controls was 0.9898 (95% CI= 0.9633 to 1.000, P-value<0.0001), and the optimal cut-off value was calculated to be >-9.121(Sensitivity 92.86%; Specificity 100.0%).
  • Conclusion: According to this finding, there is a strong correlation between lncRNA AVAN expression levels and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, it can be known as a potential biomarker for COVID-19 diagnosis.
  • Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, lncRNA, Biomarker, interferon I, innate immunity