Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39945674›Full record

ArticleEmerging microbes & infections2025

SARS-CoV-2 enhances complement-mediated endothelial injury via the suppression of membrane complement regulatory proteins.

Jian Wu, Sanpeng Xu, Zhiqing Li, Boyi Cong, Zongheng Yang, Zhichao Yang, Wanfeng Gao, Shuo Liu, Zhou Yu, Sheng Xu and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Emerging microbes & infections, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. COVID-19, the disease that changed the world.Medicine and pharmacy reports · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Jian WuInstitute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Sanpeng XuDepartment of Pathology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Zhiqing LiNational Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Immunology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Boyi CongFrontier Research Center for Cell Response, Institute of Immunology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Zongheng YangDepartment of Immunology, Center for Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Zhichao YangNational Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Immunology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Wanfeng GaoFrontier Research Center for Cell Response, Institute of Immunology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Shuo LiuDepartment of Immunology, Center for Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Zhou YuNational Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Immunology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Sheng XuNational Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Immunology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Nan LiNational Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Immunology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Jin HouNational Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Institute of Immunology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Guoping WangDepartment of Pathology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Xuetao CaoInstitute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Shuxun LiuInstitute of Immunology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Complement hyperactivation and thrombotic microangiopathy are closely associated with severe COVID-19. Endothelial dysfunction is a key mechanism underlying thrombotic microangiopathy. To address the relationship between endothelial injury, complement activation and thrombotic microangiopathy of severe COVID-19, we wonder whether, and if so, what and how SARS-CoV-2 factors make endothelial cells (ECs) sensitive to complement-mediated cytotoxicity. We revealed that multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins enhanced complement-mediated cytotoxicity to ECs by inhibiting membrane complement regulatory proteins (CRPs) and enhancing the deposition of complement-recognizing component FCN1. By screening with CRISPR/Cas9-gRNA libraries, we identified that ADAMTS9, SYAP1, and HIGD1A as intrinsic regulators of CD59 on ECs, which were inhibited by the SARS-CoV-2 M, NSP16, and ORF9b proteins. IFN-γ, GM-CSF, and IFN-α upregulated CD55 and CD59, while IFN-γ antagonized the inhibition of CD59 by the three SARS-CoV-2 proteins. So, the deficiency of IFN-γ weakened the protection of ECs by CRPs against complement-mediated injury which may be enhanced during infection. Our findings illustrated the regulation of protection against complement-mediated attack on self-cells by SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune responses, providing insights into endothelial injury, thrombotic microangiopathy, and potential targets for treating severe COVID-19.

Indexed as

Complement System ProteinsCOVID-19Endothelial CellsSARS-CoV-2CD55 AntigensCD59 AntigensComplement ActivationHumansCD55 AntigensCD59 AntigensCD59 protein, humanComplement System Proteinscomplement activationcomplement regulatory protein-Endothelial cellinterferonSARS-CoV-2Thrombotic microangiopathy

Identifiers

PMID39945674
PMCPMC11873982

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.