Activation of Inflammasome complex in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells from patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 contributes to inflammatory state and worse disease outcomes

Abstract

AbstractPathogenesis of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has been associated with dysregulation of both adaptive and innate immune systems. Hence, we determined the contribution of inflammasome in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cells isolated from COVID‐19 subjects to disease pathogenesis and outcomes. Epithelial cells from 150 COVID‐19 patients and 150 healthy controls were yielded through nasopharyngeal swab sampling. Patients were categorized into three groups of those with clinical presentations/need hospitalization, with clinical presentations/no need hospitalization and cases without clinical symptoms/no need hospitalization. Finally, the transcriptional amount of inflammasome related genes were assessed in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cells using qPCR. There was a significant upregulation of nod‐like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 1 (NLRP1), nod‐like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), Apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a CARD (ASC) and Caspase‐1 mRNA expressions in patients compared to controls. NLRP1, NLRP3, ASC and Caspase‐1 were upregulated in epithelial cells of patients with clinical symptoms/need hospitalization and cases with clinical symptoms/no need hospitalization when compared to controls. There was a correlation between expression of inflammasome‐related genes and clinicopathological features. Abnormal expression of inflammasome‐related genes in the nasopharyngeal epithelial cells obtained from COVID‐19 patients may be of prognostic value to determine the intensity of the disease's outcomes and requirement for alternative supports in hospitals.