Comparative analysis of immune-associated genes in COVID-19, cardiomyopathy and venous thromboembolism

Castaneda, G. E.; Lee, A. C.; Li, W. T.; Chen, C.; Chakladar, J.; Chang, E.; Ongkeko, W.

As of 28 August 2020, there have been 5.88 million Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 181,000 COVID-19 related deaths in the United States alone. Given the lack of an effective pharmaceutical treatment for COVID-19, the high contagiousness of the disease and its varied clinical outcomes, identifying patients at risk of progressing to severe disease is crucial for the allocation of valuable healthcare resources during this pandemic. Current research has shown that there is a higher prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities amongst patients with severe COVID-19 or COVID-19-related deaths, but the link between cardiovascular disease and poorer prognosis is poorly understood. We believe that pre-existing immune dysregulation that accompanies cardiovascular disease predisposes patients to a harmful inflammatory immune response, leading to their higher risk of severe disease. Thus, in this project, we aim to characterize immune dysregulation in patients with cardiomyopathy, venous thromboembolism and COVID-19 patients by looking at immune-associated gene dysregulation, immune infiltration and dysregulated immunological pathways and gene signatures.