The Immunomodulatory Role of Glucokinase 1 (GCK1) lncRNA in Patients With COVID-19

Abstract

Individuals infected with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) may exhibit a wide range of clinical symptoms, from asymptomatic cases to severe complications. This variation is likely associated with differences in immune response intensity, where specific long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to regulate the interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. The present study aimed to comparatively investigate the relationship between Glucokinase 1 (GCK1) lncRNA expression and immune system activity in individuals with COVID-19. A total of 100 participants were included in the study. The expression of the GCK1 lncRNA gene was quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and the concentrations of IL-12, IFN-α, IFN-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in cell culture supernatants were measured via Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The findings revealed a significant upregulation of lncRNA-GCK1 expression in COVID-19 patients compared with the control group. Additionally, the levels of IL-12, IFN-α, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were considerably higher in patients, suggesting a potential association between increased lncRNA-GCK1 expression and an intensified inflammatory response. Collectively, the findings highlight lncRNA-GCK1 as a potential key regulator of immune activation in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and a promising biomarker candidate for monitoring disease dynamics and treatment outcomes.