Growth Arrest-Specific Factor 6 (GAS6) Is Increased in COVID-19 Patients and Predicts Clinical Outcome.

AXL COVID-19 GAS6 MERTK immune response immunothrombosis viral infection vitamin K

Journal

Biomedicines
ISSN: 2227-9059
Titre abrégé: Biomedicines
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101691304

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
26 Mar 2021
Historique:
received: 12 03 2021
revised: 19 03 2021
accepted: 23 03 2021
entrez: 3 4 2021
pubmed: 4 4 2021
medline: 4 4 2021
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Growth arrest-specific factor 6 (GAS6) and the Tyro3, AXL, and MERTK (TAM) receptors counterbalance pro-inflammatory responses. AXL is a candidate receptor for SARS-CoV-2, particularly in the respiratory system, and the GAS6/AXL axis is targeted in current clinical trials against COVID-19. However, GAS6 and TAMs have not been evaluated in COVID-19 patients at emergency admission. Plasma GAS6, AXL, and MERTK were analyzed in 132 patients consecutively admitted to the emergency ward during the first peak of COVID-19. GAS6 levels were higher in the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients, increasing progressively with the severity of the disease. Patients with initial GAS6 at the highest quartile had the worst outcome, with a 3-month survival of 65%, compared to a 90% survival for the rest. Soluble AXL exhibited higher plasma concentration in deceased patients, without significant differences in MERTK among SARS-CoV-2-positive groups. GAS6 mRNA was mainly expressed in alveolar cells and AXL in airway macrophages. Remarkably, THP-1 human macrophage differentiation neatly induces AXL, and its inhibition (bemcentinib) reduced cytokine production in human macrophages after LPS challenge. Plasma GAS6 and AXL levels reflect COVID-19 severity and could be early markers of disease prognosis, supporting a relevant role of the GAS6/AXL system in the immune response in COVID-19.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Growth arrest-specific factor 6 (GAS6) and the Tyro3, AXL, and MERTK (TAM) receptors counterbalance pro-inflammatory responses. AXL is a candidate receptor for SARS-CoV-2, particularly in the respiratory system, and the GAS6/AXL axis is targeted in current clinical trials against COVID-19. However, GAS6 and TAMs have not been evaluated in COVID-19 patients at emergency admission.
METHODS METHODS
Plasma GAS6, AXL, and MERTK were analyzed in 132 patients consecutively admitted to the emergency ward during the first peak of COVID-19.
RESULTS RESULTS
GAS6 levels were higher in the SARS-CoV-2-positive patients, increasing progressively with the severity of the disease. Patients with initial GAS6 at the highest quartile had the worst outcome, with a 3-month survival of 65%, compared to a 90% survival for the rest. Soluble AXL exhibited higher plasma concentration in deceased patients, without significant differences in MERTK among SARS-CoV-2-positive groups. GAS6 mRNA was mainly expressed in alveolar cells and AXL in airway macrophages. Remarkably, THP-1 human macrophage differentiation neatly induces AXL, and its inhibition (bemcentinib) reduced cytokine production in human macrophages after LPS challenge.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
Plasma GAS6 and AXL levels reflect COVID-19 severity and could be early markers of disease prognosis, supporting a relevant role of the GAS6/AXL system in the immune response in COVID-19.

Identifiants

pubmed: 33810394
pii: biomedicines9040335
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9040335
pmc: PMC8065652
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Subventions

Organisme : Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
ID : RTI2018-095672-B-I00
Organisme : Instituto de Salud Carlos III
ID : PI15/00531, PI19/01410
Organisme : Fundació la Marató de TV3
ID : 20153030 and 20153031
Organisme : European Union
ID : ERDF "A way to make Europe"
Organisme : Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
ID : CSIC-COV19-016/202020E155
Organisme : Junta de Castilla y León
ID : 07.04.467B04.74011.0
Organisme : CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya
ID : AGAUR 2017_SGR_177

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Auteurs

Albert Morales (A)

Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Group, Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, CIBEREHD, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Silvia Rojo Rello (S)

Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, 47003 Valladolid, Spain.

Helena Cristóbal (H)

Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Aida Fiz-López (A)

Mucosal Immunology Lab, Unidad de Excelencia Instituto de Biomedicina y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid-CSIC, 47003 Valladolid, Spain.

Elisa Arribas (E)

Mucosal Immunology Lab, Unidad de Excelencia Instituto de Biomedicina y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid-CSIC, 47003 Valladolid, Spain.

Montserrat Marí (M)

Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Anna Tutusaus (A)

Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Paloma de la Cal-Sabater (P)

Mucosal Immunology Lab, Unidad de Excelencia Instituto de Biomedicina y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid-CSIC, 47003 Valladolid, Spain.

Gerry A F Nicolaes (GAF)

Department of Biochemistry, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.

José T Ortiz-Pérez (JT)

Clinic Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

David Bernardo (D)

Mucosal Immunology Lab, Unidad de Excelencia Instituto de Biomedicina y Genética Molecular (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid-CSIC, 47003 Valladolid, Spain.
Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), 28029 Madrid, Spain.

Pablo García de Frutos (P)

Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Department of Cell Death and Differentiation, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, IIBB-CSIC, Rosselló 161, 6th Floor, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Classifications MeSH