{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,27]],"date-time":"2026-10-27T18:29:12Z","timestamp":1793125752389,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,31]],"date-time":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1661904000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003967","name":"Iran's National Elites Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003967","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005716","name":"Babol University of Medical Sciences","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005716","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Finding cytokine storm initiator factors associated with uncontrolled inflammatory immune response is necessary in COVID-19 patients. The aim was the identification of Fas\/Fas Ligand (FasL) role in lung involvement and mortality of COVID-19 patients. In this case-control study, mild (outpatient), moderate (hospitalized), and severe (ICU) COVID-19 patients and healthy subjects were investigated. RNA isolated from PBMCs for cDNA synthesis and expression of mFas\/mFasL mRNA was evaluated by RT-PCR. Serum sFas\/sFasL protein by ELISA and severity of lung involvement by CT-scan were evaluated. Also, we docked Fas and FasL <jats:italic>via<\/jats:italic> Bioinformatics software (<jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic>) to predict the best-fit Fas\/FasL complex and performed molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) in hyponatremia and fever (COVID-19 patients), and healthy conditions. mFasL expression was increased in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients compared to the control group. Moreover, mFas expression showed an inverse correlation with myalgia symptom in COVID-19 patients. Elevation of sFasL protein in serum was associated with reduced lung injury and mortality. Bioinformatics analysis confirmed that blood profile alterations of COVID-19 patients, such as fever and hyponatremia could affect Fas\/FasL complex interactions. Our translational findings showed that decreased sFasL is associated with lung involvement; severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. We think that sFasL is a mediator of neutrophilia and lymphopenia in COVID-19. However, additional investigation is suggested. This is the first report describing that the serum sFasL protein is a severity and mortality prognostic marker for the clinical management of COVID-19 patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2022.947401","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,31]],"date-time":"2022-08-31T08:02:15Z","timestamp":1661932935000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["Serum soluble Fas ligand is a severity and mortality prognostic marker for COVID-19 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