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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Virus and Host
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1446305

Comparison of microbial infected and toxic pulmonary fibrosis Proteomics of severe SARS-COV-2 infection and paraquat poisoning in human lung tissue samples: Comparison of microbial infected and toxic pulmonary fibrosis

Provisionally accepted
Jiang Min Jiang Min Hou Jiaqi Hou Jiaqi Lin Lihua Lin Lihua Chai Qianqian Chai Qianqian Wang Shujuan Wang Shujuan Liu Xiang Liu Xiang Liu Liang Liu Liang Ren Liang Ren Liang Zhou Yiwu Zhou Yiwu *Liu Qian Liu Qian *
  • Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) encompasses a spectrum of lung conditions characterized by the abnormal accumulation of scar tissue in the lungs, leading to impaired respiratory function. Various conditions can result in severe PF, among which viral infections have emerged as significant triggers. In addition to viral infections, exposure to toxic substances such as paraquat represents another significant risk factor for PF. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the dissimilarities and similarities between PF triggered by viral infections and chemical toxicants, using the mechanism of PF in IPF as a reference.Methods: Data-independent acquisition proteomics technology was employed to identify COVID-19 and paraquat-induced PF from the autopsy of lung tissue samples obtained from individuals who died due to PF. Bioinformatics was employed for differential protein analysis, and selected indicators were validated on pathological sections.Our results showed that the differential proteins associated with the two causes of PF were enriched in similar lung fibrosis-related signaling pathways, such as the Wnt signaling pathway. However, differences were observed in proteins such as CACYBP, we verified the consistency of the results with proteomics using the IHC approach Conclusions: This study illuminates distinct protein-level differences by investigating pulmonary fibrosis pathways in severe COVID-19 and paraquat poisoning. Although both conditions activate lung-protective and repair pathways, COVID-19 shows limited phosphorylation-independent ubiquitination of β-catenin compared to paraquat toxicity. These findings shed light on potential therapeutic targets for PF induced via diverse factors.

    Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Paraquat, PF, Proteomics, autopsy samples

    Received: 09 Jun 2024; Accepted: 12 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Min, Jiaqi, Lihua, Qianqian, Shujuan, Xiang, Liang, Liang, Yiwu and Qian. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Zhou Yiwu, Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
    Liu Qian, Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.