Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
Microb Pathog. 2022 Aug;169:105677. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105677. Epub 2022 Jul 15.
Patients admitted to the hospital with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are at risk for acquiring mycotic infections in particular Candidemia. Candida albicans (C. albicans) constitutes an important component of the human mycobiome and the most common cause of invasive fungal infections. Invasive yeast infections are gaining interest among the scientific community as a consequence of complications associated with severe COVID-19 infections. Early identification and surveillance for Candida infections is critical for decreasing the COVID-19 mortality. Our current study attempted to understand the molecular-level interactions between the human genes in different organs during systematic candidiasis. Our research findings have shed light on the molecular events that occur during Candidiasis in organs such as the kidney, liver, and spleen. The differentially expressed genes (up and down-regulated) in each organ will aid in designing organ-specific therapeutic protocols for systemic candidiasis. We observed organ-specific immune responses such as the development of the acute phase response in the liver; TGF-pathway and genes involved in lymphocyte activation, and leukocyte proliferation in the kidney. We have also observed that in the kidney, filament production, up-regulation of iron acquisition mechanisms, and metabolic adaptability are aided by the late initiation of innate defense mechanisms, which is likely related to the low number of resident immune cells and the sluggish recruitment of new effector cells. Our findings point to major pathways that play essential roles in specific organs during systemic candidiasis. The hub genes discovered in the study can be used to develop novel drugs for clinical management of Candidiasis.
患有冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 的住院患者特别容易感染真菌病，如念珠菌血症。白色念珠菌 (C. albicans) 是人体真菌组的重要组成部分，也是侵袭性真菌感染的最常见原因。由于与严重 COVID-19 感染相关的并发症，侵袭性酵母感染引起了科学界的关注。早期识别和监测念珠菌感染对于降低 COVID-19 死亡率至关重要。我们目前的研究试图了解系统性念珠菌病期间不同器官中人类基因的分子水平相互作用。我们的研究结果揭示了在肾脏、肝脏和脾脏等器官中发生念珠菌病时发生的分子事件。每个器官中差异表达的基因（上调和下调）将有助于设计针对系统性念珠菌病的器官特异性治疗方案。我们观察到器官特异性免疫反应，如肝脏中急性期反应的发展；肾脏中 TGF 途径和参与淋巴细胞激活以及白细胞增殖的基因。我们还观察到，在肾脏中，固有防御机制的延迟启动有助于菌丝形成、铁摄取机制的上调和代谢适应性，这可能与驻留免疫细胞数量少和新效应细胞募集缓慢有关。我们的研究结果指出了在系统性念珠菌病期间特定器官中起重要作用的主要途径。该研究中发现的枢纽基因可用于开发治疗念珠菌病的新药。
