Personalized Medicine for COVID-19

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2024) | Viewed by 9706

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: human genetics and COVID-19 symptoms and severity; molecular evolution of SARS-CoV-2; reinfections; vaccines and anti-virals; long COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 ecology and host-virus interactions; ethical issues in infectious diseases

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Guest Editor
1. Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, University Campus, GR-26504 Rion, Greece
2. Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
3. Clinical Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Interests: pharmacogenomics; personalized therapeutics; clinical care; clinical implementation; clinical studies; pharmacogenomic testing; health technoloigy assessment; regulatory guidance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Personalized medicine is progressively gaining momentum in modern healthcare in lieu of the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach. Recent technological advances, particularly in genomic sequencing, have contributed significantly to this end. The impressive heterogeneity of clinical manifestations of infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and potential long-term consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), showcase the likely advantages of applying personalized medicine for COVID-19. However, despite the “COVIDation” of medicine, very few studies have been published to date to address the issue. The articles that will be published pertain to, but may not be limited to, the interplay of host and viral factors in the following topics:

  • COVID-19 severity
  • Long-COVID symptoms and severity
  • Response and duration of protection of COVID-19 vaccines
  • Response to therapy and development of resistance to anti-virals
  • Ethical implications of applying precision medicine for COVID-19

Dr. Cleo Anastassopoulou
Prof. Dr. George P. Patrinos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • COVID-19 severity
  • long-COVID symptoms and severity
  • response and duration of protection of COVID-19 vaccines
  • response to therapy and development of resistance to anti-virals
  • ethical implications of applying precision medicine for COVID-19

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 272 KiB  
Article
Clinical and Laboratory Parameters Associated with PICU Admission in Children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C)
by Maria-Myrto Dourdouna, Evdoxia Mpourazani, Elizabeth-Barbara Tatsi, Chrysanthi Tsirogianni, Charikleia Barbaressou, Nick Dessypris and Athanasios Michos
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(9), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14091011 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 657
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but severe post-infectious complication of COVID-19 that often requires admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The present study aimed to compare the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of children diagnosed with [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but severe post-infectious complication of COVID-19 that often requires admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The present study aimed to compare the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of children diagnosed with MIS-C who were admitted to the PICU and those who did not require PICU admission. Methods: Children diagnosed with MIS-C from September 2020 to April 2023 were included in this case-control study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected from medical records. Results: Fifty children with MIS-C were included in the study [median (IQR) age: 7.5 (4.3, 11.4) years, 28/50 (56%) males]. Twenty-two (22/50, 44%) children required admission to the PICU. In the multivariate regression analysis, hepatic (OR: 12.89, 95%CI: 1.35–123.41, p-value = 0.03) and cardiological involvement (OR: 34.55, 95%CI: 2.2–541.91, p-value = 0.01) were significantly associated with hospitalization at the PICU. Regarding the laboratory and imaging parameters during the first 48 h from admission, D-dimer levels higher than 4 μg/mL and decreased Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) were associated with an increased risk of PICU admission (OR: 7.95, 95%CI: 1.48–42.78, p-value = 0.02 and OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.07–1.53, p-value = 0.01). Children who were admitted to the PICU were more likely to develop complications during their hospitalization (10/22, 45.5% vs. 3/28, 10.7%, p-value = 0.005) and were hospitalized for more days than children in the pediatric ward (median length of stay (IQR): 20 (15, 28) days vs. 8.5 (6, 14) days, p-value < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that cardiovascular and hepatic involvement and increased D-dimer levels in children with MIS-C might be associated with admission to the PICU. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
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12 pages, 272 KiB  
Article
Rates of Vaccination against COVID-19 in Psychiatric Outpatients
by Mina Cvjetkovic Bosnjak, Dusan Kuljancic, Ana-Marija Vejnovic, Darko Hinic, Vladimir Knezevic, Dragana Ratkovic, Vanja Bosic, Vesna Vasic, Branislav Sakic, Darja Segan, Predrag Savic, Minja Abazovic, Masa Comic, Djendji Siladji, Dusica Simic-Panic and Olga Ivetic Poledica
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(7), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14070748 - 14 Jul 2024
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Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to compare the rates of vaccination against COVID-19 infection in psychiatric outpatients and the general population, as well as rates of infected patients. In addition, the level and type of anxiety due to the pandemic were [...] Read more.
Background: The aim of this study was to compare the rates of vaccination against COVID-19 infection in psychiatric outpatients and the general population, as well as rates of infected patients. In addition, the level and type of anxiety due to the pandemic were observed in patients with psychotic, anxiety, and depressive disorders. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 171 patients with pre-existing mental disorders completed the questionnaire about the doses and types of vaccination against COVID-19. During 2021–2023, patients with different mental disorders, aged from 18 to 80, were included. All patients filled in a self-reported questionnaire including general information (age, sex, marriage, education, working status, comorbid conditions) as well as questions about mental health, receiving vaccination, and the course of COVID-19 infection if it was present. All patients gave informed consent for the interview. Results: Patients with pre-existing mental disorders were more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 compared with the general population. The Sinopharm vaccine was most frequently applied. In the observed patients, 46.8% were infected, but just 7% had a medium or serious form of infection and were not vaccinated. Conclusions: In our study, the percentage of vaccinated psychiatric patients was greater than that in the general population, except in psychotic patients, who were mostly limited by fear. Such results can be explained by the high percentage of somatic comorbidities in this population and perhaps insufficient information about the positive effects of vaccination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
11 pages, 488 KiB  
Article
Deterioration in Quality of Life among COVID-19 Survivors: Population-Based Cohort Study
by Tak Kyu Oh and In-Ae Song
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(6), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14060569 - 26 May 2024
Viewed by 893
Abstract
We aimed to examine the prevalence of, and factors associated with, quality of life (QOL) worsening among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors. This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the National Health Insurance Service [...] Read more.
We aimed to examine the prevalence of, and factors associated with, quality of life (QOL) worsening among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors. This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea. A total of 325,666 COVID-19 survivors were included in this study. Among them, 106,091 (32.6%) survivors experienced worsening QOL after COVID-19. Specifically, 21,223 (6.5%) participants experienced job loss, 94,556 (29.0%) experienced decreased household income, and 559 (0.2%) acquired new disabilities. In the multivariable logistic regression model, living in rural areas (odds ratio [OR]: 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 1.04; p = 0.009), intensive care unit admission (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.15; p = 0.028), and increase in self-payment by 100 USD (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.02; p < 0.001) were associated with increased QOL worsening after COVID-19. Old age (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98, 0.99; p < 0.001), first vaccination (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86, 0.93; p < 0.001), and second vaccination (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.96; p < 0.001) were associated with decreased QOL worsening after COVID-19. Approximately one-third of COVID-19 survivors in South Korea who were admitted to hospitals or monitoring centers experienced QOL worsening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
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12 pages, 834 KiB  
Article
Inflammatory Biomarkers for Assessing In-Hospital Mortality Risk in Severe COVID-19—A Retrospective Study
by Erika Bimbo-Szuhai, Mihai Octavian Botea, Dana Diana Romanescu, Corina Beiusanu, Gabriela Maria Gavrilas, Georgiana Maria Popa, Dania Antal, Mihaela Gabriela Bontea, Liliana Sachelarie and Iulia Codruta Macovei
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(5), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14050503 - 10 May 2024
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Abstract
(1) Background: Our study aims to investigate the utility of inflammatory factors as prognostic indicators for disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Department of Pelican Clinical Hospital Oradea Romania. While elevated white blood cell (WBC) [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Our study aims to investigate the utility of inflammatory factors as prognostic indicators for disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Department of Pelican Clinical Hospital Oradea Romania. While elevated white blood cell (WBC) levels are associated with COVID-19 severity and mortality, they may not effectively predict the risk of death; (2) Methods: In our ICU department, we conducted assessments on the 10th and 14th days of COVID-19 patients’ hospitalization, measuring the following markers: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, procalcitonin (PCT) levels, granulocytes/lymphocytes (G/L) ratios, ferritin levels, age, and obesity status. We included a total of 209 eligible COVID-19 patients in the final analysis. Our goal was to identify biomarkers that could quickly identify high-risk patients with a potential for disease progression and mortality; (3) Results: Our study (a retrospective, single-center observational cohort study) demonstrated statistically significant differences in predicting mortality and disease severity based on G/L ratio (p < 0.0001), PCT (p < 0.0002), CRP (p < 0.0001), ferritin (p < 0.0001), age (p < 0.0001), and obesity (p < 0.0001); (4) Conclusions: Having a G/L ratio exceeding 20 units, along with elevated levels of PCR, PCT, and ferritin in older and obese patients on the 3rd day of ICU admission, represents significant risk factors for in-hospital mortality in severe COVID-19 patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
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16 pages, 2681 KiB  
Article
Delta Variant in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study on Clinical Outcomes Based on Vaccination Status
by Damiana-Maria Vulturar, Liviu-Ștefan Moacă, Maria Adriana Neag, Andrei-Otto Mitre, Teodora-Gabriela Alexescu, Diana Gherman, Iulia Făgărășan, Ioana Maria Chețan, Claudia Diana Gherman, Oana-Elena Melinte, Antigona Carmen Trofor and Doina-Adina Todea
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(4), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14040358 - 28 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1453
Abstract
Background: As the global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic endures, the spread of the Delta variant has introduced nuanced challenges, prompting a nuanced examination. Materials and Methods: We performed a multilevel logistic regression analysis encompassing 197 patients, comprising 44 vaccinated individuals (V group) [...] Read more.
Background: As the global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic endures, the spread of the Delta variant has introduced nuanced challenges, prompting a nuanced examination. Materials and Methods: We performed a multilevel logistic regression analysis encompassing 197 patients, comprising 44 vaccinated individuals (V group) and 153 unvaccinated counterparts (UV). These patients, afflicted with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, were hospitalized between October 2021 and February 2022 at the COVID-19 department of a University Centre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. We compared patient characteristics, CT lung involvement, Padua score, oxygen saturation (O2 saturation), ventilation requirements, dynamics of arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters, ICU admission rates, and mortality rates between the two groups. Results: The UV group exhibited a statistically significant (p < 0.05) proclivity toward developing a more severe form of infection, marked by elevated rates of lung involvement, oxygen requirement, ICU admission, and mortality. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the substantial efficacy of the vaccine in diminishing the incidence of severe disease, lowering the rates of ICU admissions, and mitigating mortality among hospitalized patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
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Review

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13 pages, 766 KiB  
Review
Investigating ABO Blood Groups and Secretor Status in Relation to SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Severity
by Stefanos Ferous, Nikolaos Siafakas, Fotini Boufidou, George P. Patrinos, Athanasios Tsakris and Cleo Anastassopoulou
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(4), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14040346 - 26 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2221
Abstract
The ABO blood groups, Lewis antigens, and secretor systems are important components of transfusion medicine. These interconnected systems have been also shown to be associated with differing susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections, likely as the result of selection over the course of [...] Read more.
The ABO blood groups, Lewis antigens, and secretor systems are important components of transfusion medicine. These interconnected systems have been also shown to be associated with differing susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections, likely as the result of selection over the course of evolution and the constant tug of war between humans and infectious microbes. This comprehensive narrative review aimed to explore the literature and to present the current state of knowledge on reported associations of the ABO, Lewis, and secretor blood groups with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Our main finding was that the A blood group may be associated with increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and possibly also with increased disease severity and overall mortality. The proposed pathophysiological pathways explaining this potential association include antibody-mediated mechanisms and increased thrombotic risk amongst blood group A individuals, in addition to altered inflammatory cytokine expression profiles. Preliminary evidence does not support the association between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 vaccine response, or the risk of developing long COVID. Even though the emergency state of the pandemic is over, further research is needed especially in this area since tens of millions of people worldwide suffer from lingering COVID-19 symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
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Other

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12 pages, 2501 KiB  
Brief Report
Correlation between Genomic Variants and Worldwide COVID-19 Epidemiology
by Ana Caroline Alves da Costa, Laura Patrícia Albarello Gellen, Marianne Rodrigues Fernandes, Rita de Cássia Calderaro Coelho, Natasha Monte, Francisco Cezar Aquino de Moraes, Maria Clara Leite Calderaro, Lilian Marques de Freitas, Juliana Aires Matos, Thamara Fernanda da Silva Fernandes, Kaio Evandro Cardoso Aguiar, Lui Wallacy Morikawa Souza Vinagre, Sidney Emanuel Batista dos Santos and Ney Pereira Carneiro dos Santos
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(6), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14060579 - 28 May 2024
Viewed by 1097
Abstract
COVID-19 is a systemic disease caused by the etiologic agent SARS-CoV-2, first reported in Hubei Province in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has evolved over time with distinct transmissibility subvariants from ancestral lineages. The clinical manifestations of the disease vary [...] Read more.
COVID-19 is a systemic disease caused by the etiologic agent SARS-CoV-2, first reported in Hubei Province in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has evolved over time with distinct transmissibility subvariants from ancestral lineages. The clinical manifestations of the disease vary according to their severity and can range from asymptomatic to severe. Due to the rapid evolution to a pandemic, epidemiological studies have become essential to understand and effectively combat COVID-19, as the incidence and mortality of this disease vary between territories and populations. This study correlated epidemiological data on the incidence and mortality of COVID-19 with frequencies of important SNPs in GWAS studies associated with the susceptibility and mortality of this disease in different populations. Our results indicated significant correlations for 11 genetic variants (rs117169628, rs2547438, rs2271616, rs12610495, rs12046291, rs35705950, rs2176724, rs10774671, rs1073165, rs4804803 and rs7528026). Of these 11 variants, 7 (rs12046291, rs117169628, rs1073165, rs2547438, rs2271616, rs12610495 and rs35705950) were positively correlated with the incidence rate, these variants were more frequent in EUR populations, suggesting that this population is more susceptible to COVID-19. The rs2176724 variant was inversely related to incidence rates; therefore, the higher the frequency of the allele is, the lower the incidence rate. This variant was more frequent in the AFR population, which suggests a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population. The variants rs10774671, rs4804803, and rs7528026 showed a significant relationship with mortality rates. SNPs rs10774671 and rs4804803 were inversely related to mortality rates and are more frequently present in the AFR population. The rs7528026 variant, which is more frequent in the AMR population, was positively related to mortality rates. The study has the potential to identify and correlate the genetic profile with epidemiological data, identify populations that are more susceptible to severe forms of COVID-19, and relate them to incidence and mortality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Personalized Medicine for COVID-19)
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