miRNome Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles in Patients With Severe COVID-19 and Identification of Predictors of Mortality

Abstract

Abstract Background Extracellular vesicles (EVs), containing microRNAs (miRNAs) and other molecules, play a central role in intercellular communication, especially in viral infections caused by SARS-CoV-2. This study explores the miRNA profiles in plasma-derived EVs from patients with severe COVID-19 vs controls, identifying potential mortality predictors. Methods This prospective study included 36 patients with severe COVID-19 and 33 controls without COVID-19. EV-derived miRNAs were sequenced, and bioinformatics and differential expression analysis between groups were performed. The plasma miRNA profile of an additional cohort of patients with severe COVID-19 (n = 32) and controls (n = 12) was used to compare with our data. Survival analysis identified potential mortality predictors among the significantly differentially expressed (SDE) miRNAs in EVs. Results Patients with severe COVID-19 showed 50 SDE miRNAs in plasma-derived EVs. These miRNAs were associated with pathways related to inflammation and cell adhesion. Fifteen of these plasma-derived EV miRNAs were SDE in the plasma of severe cases vs controls. Two miRNAs, hsa-miR-1469 and hsa-miR-6124, were identified as strong mortality predictors with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.938. Conclusions This research provides insights into the role of miRNAs within EVs in severe COVID-19 and their potential as clinical biomarkers for mortality.