Various receptors for upregulated immune-cell ligands during SARS-CoV-2 infection are known to be expressed in sensory neurons. The following expression profiles come from human dorsal root ganglion (hDRG) databases.

- Cytokine receptors (CCL2, CXCR2, CCR5, CXCR10, and IL15RA)
- Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
- Ephrin (Eph) receptors

Smith College

Current research provides support for the hypothesis that pulmonary immune cell ligands bind to sensory neuron receptors following SARS-CoV-2 infection. 
- Pulmonary immune cell-derived ligands are upregulated
- Sensory neurons (hDRGNs) innervating the lung express receptors for the upregulated ligands


Limitations and caveats of the research are listed as follows: 
- bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples for COVID-19 patients are limited, and further sequencing of patient lung cells is needed
- there is no transcriptomic data for sensory neurons of COVID-19 patients, and the research relies on an assumption that the neuro receptors for immune-cell upregulated ligands will still be expressed following viral infection
- research is limited to sympathetic nerves (DRGNs), and no conclusions can be drawn regarding parasympathetic nerves (nodose, jugular ganglia)

Signaling: From Pulmonary Immune Cells to Sensory Neurons.

Ray, P. R., Wangzhou, A., Ghneim, N., Yousuf, M. S., Paige, C., Tavares-Ferreira, D., ... & Neerukonda, S. V. (2020). A pharmacological interactome between COVID-19 patient samples and human sensory neurons reveals potential drivers of neurogenic pulmonary dysfunction. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.  doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.078. https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S088915912030670X?token=47BD27DF03A0DC9F9945F6E90A2137EAFCB238A79393A82CA3917F589C6702E1240C841686F05BA6D96293A4B2699299

A pharmacological interactome between COVID-19 patient samples and human sensory neurons reveals potential drivers of neurogenic pulmonary dysfunction

Various genes have shown to be differentially expressed in COVID-19 patient bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as compared to control data. The following list includes upregulated genes involved in known, clinical characterizations of COVID-19.
- cytokine storm ( CCL2/3/4/7/8, CXCL1/2/6/8/28, CCL3L3, CCL4L2)
- hypoxia (HIF1A, HLF)
- inflammasome /sepsis (IL1R1/2, IL5RA, IL33, IL31RA)

Immunity markers:
- alveolar cells (EHF, PAX9, ELF3, GHRL2) 
- immune cells (RFX3, SOX5, TP63, HOPX) 
- antiviral regulation (NR3C2)
- lymphocyte B cells (CD24 and CD38)
- lymphocyte T cells (CD4, CD8) (detected but not consistently upregulated)

Notable upregulated genes: 
- Cytokines 
- Epiregulin (EREG)
- Eph ligand genes (EFNA1, EFNA5)


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