Bioinformatics and system biology approach to identify the influences of COVID-19 on metabolic unhealthy obese patients

Objective The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) has posed a significant challenge to individuals’ health. Increasing evidence shows that patients with metabolic unhealthy obesity (MUO) and COVID-19 have severer complications and higher mortality rate. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the association between MUO and COVID-19 are poorly understood. We sought to implement transcriptomic analysis using bioinformatics and systems biology analysis approaches. Methods Here, two datasets (GSE196822 and GSE152991) were employed to extract differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to identify common hub genes, shared pathways and candidate drugs and construct a gene-disease network. Results Based on the identified 65 common DEGs, the results revealed hub genes and essential modules. Moreover, common associations between MUO and COVID-19 were found. Transcription factors (TFs)–genes interaction, and DEGs-miRNAs coregulatory network were identified. Furthermore, the gene-disease association were obtained and constructed. Conclusions The shared pathogenic pathways are noted worth paying attention to. Several genes are highlighted as critical targets for developing treatments for and investigating the complications of COVID-19 and MUO. Additionally, multiple genes are identified as promising biomarkers. We think this study’s result may help in selecting and inventing future treatments that can combat COVID-19 and MUO. What is already known about this subject? SARS-COV-2 infection can cause additional severe complications, particularly in patients with obesity and associated metabolic disturbance, which can also increase the risk of SARS-COV-2 infection and hospitalization. SARS-COV-2 infection can cause additional severe complications, particularly in patients with obesity and associated metabolic disturbances, which can also increase the risk of SARS-COV-2 infection and hospitalization. What are the new findings in your manuscript? Based on the 65 identified common DEGs, the shared pathogenic pathways are noted worth paying attention to. Several genes are highlighted as critical targets for developing treatments for and investigating the complications of COVID-19 and MUO. Additionally, multiple genes are identified as promising biomarkers. We think this study’s result may help in selecting candidate drugs and inventing future treatments that can combat COVID-19 and MUO. How might your results change the direction of research or the focus of clinical practice? Potential pathways and genes that significantly affect the prognosis of COVID-19 patients with MUO were identified, which might be helpful for further research about the detailed mechanism of how obesity affects the coronavirus infection. Additionally, the extracted candidate drugs might be the potential drugs for treating these two diseases in clinical practice. The gene-disease network also revealed essential genes linking them with other diseases, providing information for complications studies. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors