In silico analysis of the impact of toxic metals on COVID-19 complications: molecular insights

• Published in: Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju 2024-06, Vol.75 (2), p.102-109
• Main Authors: Živanović, Jovana, Baralić, Katarina, Živančević, Katarina, Božić, Dragica, Marić, Đurđica, Miljaković, Evica Antonijević, Đorđević, Aleksandra Buha, Ćurčić, Marijana, Bulat, Zorica, Antonijević, Biljana, Đukić-Ćosić, Danijela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arsenic; Arsenic - toxicity; Biological activity; Cadmium; Cadmium - toxicity; Chromium; Chromium - toxicity; citokini; Comparative Toxicogenomic Database; Computer Simulation; COVID-19; Cytokine storm; Cytokines; Exposure; fizičke interakcije; Genes; geni; Heavy metals; Humans; Impact analysis; Inflammation; Interleukin 10; Interleukin-10 - genetics; Interleukin-1beta - genetics; Interleukin-6 - genetics; Interleukin-8 - genetics; komparativna toksikogenomska baza podataka (CTD); Lead; Lead - toxicity; Lung diseases; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury - toxicity; Metals; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Nickel; Nickel - toxicity; Original; physical interactions; Pollutants; Proteins; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Toxicogenetics; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
• ISSN: 1848-6312; 0004-1254; 1848-6312
• DOI: 10.2478/aiht-2024-75-3819

COVID-19 can cause a range of complications, including cardiovascular, renal, and/or respiratory insufficiencies, yet little is known of its potential effects in persons exposed to toxic metals. The aim of this study was to answer this question with toxicogenomic methods that can provide molecular insights into COVID-19 complications owed to exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, and chromium. For this purpose we relied on the Comparative Toxicogenomic Database (CTD), GeneMANIA, and ToppGene Suite portal and identified a set of five common genes ( ) for the six metals and COVID-19, all of which code for pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The list was expanded with additional 20 related genes. Physical interactions are the most common between the genes affected by the six metals (77.64 %), while the dominant interaction between the genes affected by each metal separately is co-expression (As 56.35 %, Cd 64.07 %, Pb 71.5 %, Hg 81.91 %, Ni 64.28 %, Cr 88.51 %). Biological processes, molecular functions, and pathways in which these 25 genes participate are closely related to cytokines and cytokine storm implicated in the development of COVID-19 complications. In other words, our findings confirm that exposure to toxic metals, alone or in combinations, might escalate COVID-19 severity.