The evaluation of both the expression and serum protein levels of Caspase-8 and Mitogen-activated protein kinases one genes in patients with different degrees of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Abstract

Abstract Aim:We performed the current study to evaluate the effects of caspase-8 (CASP8), Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) gene expression levels, and their products on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Methods:40 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the current study. The patients were divided into four main groups mild (n=7), moderate (n=10), severe(n=14), and critical(n=9) levels of the disease. Individuals under the age of 18 and pregnant women were excluded. Patients were classified according to the WHO classification system (WHO/2019-nCoV/clinical/2021.1). Results: Totally 40 individuals (male: 15 (37.5%); female: 25 (62.5%) with SARS-CoV2 infection were included in the current study. When all groups were taken into consideration, statistically significant differences were detected among all groups for both CASP82-ΔΔCt(p=0.006) and MAPK1 2-ΔΔCtvalues (p=0.015). Also, statistically significant differences were detected between mild and moderate (p=0.013), moderate and critical (p=0.018), and severe and critical (p=0.023) groups for lymphocytes. Conclusions:The CASP8/MAPK1 expression levels and/or its products are essential in preventing injury caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. They play crucial roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and viability. Perhaps CASP8/MAPK1 levels can provide information about the severity of the disease.