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Journal of Cellular Immunology

ISSN: 2689-2812

Original Research Open Access

CALHM6: Expression Level in SARS-CoV-2 Patients and Its Trend as the Infection Progresses

Ali Zalan1, Kehkshan Jabeen2, Wajid Hussain3, Bushra Khan3, Wafa Omer4, Saman Noor1, Muhammad Usman5, Aneela Javed1,*
  • 1National University of Sciences and Technology, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), Islamabad, Pakistan
  • 2Rawalpindi Medical University, Department of Pathology, Rawalpindi District, Rawalpindi, Punjab Province, Pakistan
  • 3Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciences, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan
  • 4Bahria University, College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • 5National Institute of Health, Department of Virology, Pakistan, Islamabad
+ Affiliations - Affiliations

Corresponding Author

Aneela Javed, javedaneela19@gmail.com

Received Date: August 27, 2025

Accepted Date: December 31, 2025

Citation:

Zalan A, Jabeen K, Hussain W, Khan B, Omer W, Noor S, et al. CALHM6: Expression Level in SARS-CoV-2 Patients and Its Trend as the Infection Progresses. J Cell Immunol. 2025;7(6):250–262.


Copyright: © 2025 Zalan A, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Background: This study investigates the role of Calcium Homeostasis Modulator 6 (CALHM6) in immune regulation during SARS-CoV-2 infection, with the aim of exploring its potential as a prognostic marker.

Methodology: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 42 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and 19 healthy controls were analyzed for CALHM6 expression. Clinical data were collected from patients admitted with low oxygen saturation (≤90%) and severe symptoms, and RNA was extracted at admission. Additionally, 18 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were followed every two days, with RNA extracted on Days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 until they either succumbed or were discharged. CALHM6 expression was measured using RT-PCR and the 2−ΔΔCt method, and serum samples from eight SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative individuals were analyzed via ELISA.

Results: Out of the forty-two included patients, thirty (n=30) succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 (71.42%). Results revealed a significant reduction in CALHM6 mRNA expression in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients compared to healthy controls (p<0.0001) via qRT-PCR. This downregulation was consistent when CALHM6 levels were quantified using an ELISA kit (p=0.0025 **). Notably, 80% of discharged patients exhibited elevated CALHM6 expression at follow-up, and all showed an increase in expression at their final follow-up compared to Day 1. Moreover, the expression level of CALHM6 was elevated on the final follow-up of all discharged patients (100%, n=5) in comparison with the prior successive reading, meriting CALHM6 as a critical immune modulator. Out of the thirteen deceased patients during follow-ups (n=13), the expression level of CALHM6 decreased in eight patients and increased in five patients compared to their prior successive reading.

Conclusion: Our research is the first to demonstrate the association between CALHM6 and SARS-CoV-2. Further studies are needed to explore its potential as a therapeutic target for modulating immune response and calcium homeostasis to improve SARS-CoV-2 outcomes.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2, CALHM6, ROS, Calcium homeostasis, ARDS, Immune modulator, Follow-up

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