Zeynab Mohammadpour Ganji - Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnolog
Seyed Reza Mohebbi - Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyed Masoud Hosseini - Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Shabnam Kazemian - Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Reza Zali - Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESCoronaviruses are a serious public health concern and in the last two decades and previously two viruses from this family (MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV) caused severe human diseases. Since ۲۰۱۹, SARS-CoV-۲, has caused the COVID-۱۹ pandemic and the disease lead to millions of deaths and substantial morbidity worldwide. LncRNA (Long Non-Coding RNA) are a large group of non-translating RNA molecules with more than ۲۰۰ nucleotides in size that involve in crucial cellular mechanisms in host cells. Various studies have shown that lncRNAs affect the function of the host immune system and immunological processes and play various roles in activation and function of innate and acquired immune cells and regulate cell behaviors through proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this case-control study, blood samples were taken from ۱۵ patients with COVID-۱۹ and also ۱۵ healthy controls. After total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, we used Real-time PCR to evaluate the expression level of TSPOAP۱-AS۱ The data were analyzed by ۲-ΔΔCt method and curve analysis was also performed to evaluate diagnostic utility of this molecular marker.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONTSPOAP۱-AS۱ is a kind of LncRNA that in the studies, it was previously shown that during influenza A virus infection, the expression level of this lncRNA increases both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Recent findings revealed that the induction of TSPOAP۱-AS۱ by IAV increases through the activation of NF-kB and during infection, LncRNA TSPOAP۱-AS۱ induces a decrease in IFNβ expression by accumulating more in the nucleus. No significant difference in the expression level of TSPOAP۱-AS۱ in COVID-۱۹ patients was observed in comparison to the control group.CONCLUSIONAccording to the role of lncRNAs in the body and their functions, it was predicted that the amount of TSPOAP۱-AS۱ LncRNA would change in the body during viral infection with coronavirus.

COVID-۱۹, SARS-CoV-۲, LncRNA, TSPOAP۱-AS۱