Sarkar Shreya, Sen Rwik
New Brunswick Heart Centre, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB E2L 4L2, Canada.
Active Motif, Inc., 1914 Palomar Oaks Way, Suite 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA.
Epigenomes. 2022 Apr 21;6(2):13. doi: 10.3390/epigenomes6020013.
Although few in number, studies on epigenome of the heart of COVID-19 patients show that epigenetic signatures such as DNA methylation are significantly altered, leading to changes in expression of several genes. It contributes to pathogenic cardiac phenotypes of COVID-19, e.g., low heart rate, myocardial edema, and myofibrillar disarray. DNA methylation studies reveal changes which likely contribute to cardiac disease through unknown mechanisms. The incidence of severe COVID-19 disease, including hospitalization, requiring respiratory support, morbidity, and mortality, is disproportionately higher in individuals with co-morbidities. This poses unprecedented strains on the global healthcare system. While their underlying conditions make patients more susceptible to severe COVID-19 disease, strained healthcare systems, lack of adequate support, or sedentary lifestyles from ongoing lockdowns have proved detrimental to their underlying health conditions, thus pushing them to severe risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) itself. Prophylactic vaccines against COVID-19 have ushered new hope for CHD. A common connection between COVID-19 and CHD is SARS-CoV-2's host receptor ACE2, because ACE2 regulates and protects organs, including the heart, in various ways. ACE2 is a common therapeutic target against cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 which damages organs. Hence, this review explores the above regarding CHDs, cardiovascular damage, and cardiac epigenetics, in COVID-19 patients.
尽管数量不多，但对新冠病毒肺炎患者心脏表观基因组的研究表明，DNA甲基化等表观遗传特征发生了显著改变，导致多个基因的表达发生变化。这促成了新冠病毒肺炎的致病性心脏表型，例如心率降低、心肌水肿和肌原纤维排列紊乱。DNA甲基化研究揭示的变化可能通过未知机制导致心脏疾病。在患有合并症的个体中，包括住院、需要呼吸支持、发病率和死亡率在内的重症新冠病毒肺炎疾病的发生率要高得多。这给全球医疗系统带来了前所未有的压力。虽然他们的基础疾病使患者更容易患上重症新冠病毒肺炎疾病，但紧张的医疗系统、缺乏足够的支持或因持续封锁导致的久坐不动的生活方式已被证明对他们的基础健康状况有害，从而使他们面临先天性心脏病（CHD）本身的严重风险。针对新冠病毒肺炎的预防性疫苗为先天性心脏病带来了新希望。新冠病毒肺炎和先天性心脏病之间的一个共同联系是严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的宿主受体血管紧张素转换酶2（ACE2），因为ACE2以多种方式调节和保护包括心脏在内的器官。ACE2是针对心血管疾病和会损害器官的新冠病毒肺炎的一个常见治疗靶点。因此，本综述探讨了新冠病毒肺炎患者中上述关于先天性心脏病、心血管损伤和心脏表观遗传学的问题。
