Genetic and Inflammatory Signatures Associated With Worse Prognosis in Hospitalized Patients With Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection With and Without Diabetes

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SAR-CoV-2) presents with a diverse symptomology, ranging from asymptomatic to severe disease, but the mechanism of risk factors such as diabetes remains unelucidated. The current retrospective cohort study of 182 patients, with and without COVID-19 and diabetes, analyzed leftover blood specimens for RNA sequencing and chemokine/cytokine, ACE2/DPP-IV concentrations. After analysis, 14 223 genes had sufficient hits; 18 genes and 431 genes were differentially expressed between patients with and without COVID-19 and patients with and without diabetes, respectively. Both analyses had differentially expressed five genes, GRASP, KRT8, MYZAP, PRKG1, and SMIM24. DPP-IV concentrations were statistically lower in COVID-19 patients versus non-COVID-19, but no significant differences in chemokine/cytokine expression and ACE2 concentrations were detected. This study provides insight into altered gene expression patterns in individuals with COVID-19 with and without diabetes mellitus and highlights potential markers for severe disease and pathways for treatment targets.