Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40268929›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

VCL/ICAM-1 pathway is associated with lung inflammatory damage in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection.

Mingshan Xue, Zhiwei Lin, Youli Wen, Shaohui Fan, Youxia Li, Hui-Qi Qu, Qiurong Hu, Qian Guo, Lijun Su, Qianyue Yang and 18 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–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.

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

28 authors.

Mingshan Xue *Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2883-8476
Zhiwei Lin *Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Youli Wen *Zigong First People's Hospital, Sichuan, 643000, China.
Shaohui FanThe Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519100, China.
Youxia LiThe Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519100, China.
Hui-Qi QuThe Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9317-4488
Qiurong HuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Qian GuoDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Lijun SuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Qianyue YangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Jiahong ChenDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Chuci JiangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Huimin HuangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Peiyan ZhengDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8795-4899
Ning LiDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.
Quan YuanZigong First People's Hospital, Sichuan, 643000, China.
Meixia ZhangZigong First People's Hospital, Sichuan, 643000, China.
Xin ZhaoZigong First People's Hospital, Sichuan, 643000, China.
Qunhua WuZigong First People's Hospital, Sichuan, 643000, China.
Fengyu HuInstitute of Infectious Diseases, Guangzhou Eighth Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China.
Lu LiInstitute of Infectious Diseases, Guangzhou Eighth Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, China.
Xiaowen WangThe Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519100, China.
Peixin LiuZhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519100, China.
Hakon HakonarsonThe Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2814-7461
Zhiping DengZigong First People's Hospital, Sichuan, 643000, China.
Hongman WangThe Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519100, China.
Xiaoping TangDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5067-659X
Baoqing SunDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, National Center for Respiratory Medicine / National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease / Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China. sunbaoqing@vip.163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1671-0723

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 variants present diverse clinical manifestations, necessitating deeper insights into their pathogenic effects. This study employs multi-omics approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection, focusing on vascular damage. Plasma proteomic analysis of unvaccinated participants infected with Omicron BA.2.76 or ancestral variants identifies key signaling pathways associated with endothelial dysfunction, with the vinculin (VCL) pathway emerging as a hallmark of Omicron infections, contributing to lung exudation. Metabolomic analysis of plasma samples from the same cohort reveals disruptions in immune function, cell membrane integrity, and metabolic processes, including altered tricarboxylic acid cycle and glycolysis pathways. An integrated analysis of proteomic and metabolomic data underscores the role of VCL in inflammation and extravasation, highlighting its interactions with adhesion molecules and inflammatory metabolites. A validation cohort of plasma samples from Omicron-infected participants confirms this association by replicating proteomic analysis, showing elevated VCL levels correlated with inflammatory markers. Functional studies in a male rat model of lung injury demonstrate that anti-VCL intervention reduces plasma VCL levels, mitigates alveolar edema, and restores alveolar-capillary barrier integrity, as assessed by histological staining and electron microscopy, thereby illustrating VCL modulation's impact on vascular leakage and extravasation. These findings establish VCL as a potential therapeutic target for mitigating vascular complications in SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Indexed as

COVID-19SARS-CoV-2AnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansLungMaleMetabolomicsMiddle AgedProteomicsRatsSignal Transduction

Identifiers

PMID40268929
PMCPMC12019401

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.