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African Americans and European Americans exhibit distinct gene expression patterns across tissues and tumors associated with immunologic functions and environmental exposures.
Singh, Urminder; Hernandez, Kyle M; Aronow, Bruce J; Wurtele, Eve Syrkin.
  • Singh U; Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
  • Hernandez KM; Center for Metabolic Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
  • Aronow BJ; Genetics Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
  • Wurtele ES; Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
Sci Rep ; 11(1): 9905, 2021 05 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1223111
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected African American populations disproportionately with respect to prevalence, and mortality. Expression profiles represent snapshots of combined genetic, socio-environmental (including socioeconomic and environmental factors), and physiological effects on the molecular phenotype. As such, they have potential to improve biological understanding of differences among populations, and provide therapeutic biomarkers and environmental mitigation strategies. Here, we undertook a large-scale assessment of patterns of gene expression between African Americans and European Americans, mining RNA-Seq data from 25 non-diseased and diseased (tumor) tissue-types. We observed the widespread enrichment of pathways implicated in COVID-19 and integral to inflammation and reactive oxygen stress. Chemokine CCL3L3 expression is up-regulated in African Americans. GSTM1, encoding a glutathione S-transferase that metabolizes reactive oxygen species and xenobiotics, is upregulated. The little-studied F8A2 gene is up to 40-fold more highly expressed in African Americans; F8A2 encodes HAP40 protein, which mediates endosome movement, potentially altering the cellular response to SARS-CoV-2. African American expression signatures, superimposed on single cell-RNA reference data, reveal increased number or activity of esophageal glandular cells and lung ACE2-positive basal keratinocytes. Our findings establish basal prognostic signatures that can be used to refine approaches to minimize risk of severe infection and improve precision treatment of COVID-19 for African Americans. To enable dissection of causes of divergent molecular phenotypes, we advocate routine inclusion of metadata on genomic and socio-environmental factors for human RNA-sequencing studies.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Black or African American / Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Gene Expression Profiling / White People / COVID-19 / Neoplasms Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S41598-021-89224-1

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Black or African American / Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Gene Expression Profiling / White People / COVID-19 / Neoplasms Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S41598-021-89224-1