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Lobato-Martinez E, Muriel-Serrano J, García-Payá E, Gonzalez-de-la-Aleja P, Garcia-Sevila R, Navarro-de-Miguel M, Marco-de-la-Calle F, Ramos-Rincon JM, Sanchez-Martinez R. Association of Human Leukocyte Antigen Alleles with COVID-19 Severity and Mortality in a Spanish Population. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:1392. [PMID: 39336433 PMCID: PMC11434301 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60091392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The aim of the following cross-sectional study is to determine the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and outcomes in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods and Materials: Genotyping was made using the Axiom Human Genotyping SARS-CoV-2 Research Array. Statistical analysis was made with Fisher's exact test and multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for sex, age and clinical variables. Results: Of 190 patients, 11.1% were discharged from the ED; 57.9% were admitted to the COVID-19 ward, without intensive care unit (ICU) admission; 15.3% survived an ICU admission; and 15.8% died. After multivariable analysis, two HLA alleles protected against hospital admission (HLA-C*05:01, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.055-0.731; and HLA-DQB1*02:02, aOR 0.046, CI 0.002-0.871) and one was associated with higher risk for ICU admission or death (HLA-DQA1*05:01, aOR 2.517, CI 1.086-5.833). Conclusions: In this population, HLA-C*05:01 and HLA-DQB1*02:02 are associated with a protective effect against hospital admission and HLA-DQA1*05:01 is associated with higher risk of ICU admission or death in the multivariable analysis. This may help stratify risk in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Lobato-Martinez
- Internal Medicine Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Javier Muriel-Serrano
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Elena García-Payá
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Clinical Analysis Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Pilar Gonzalez-de-la-Aleja
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Raquel Garcia-Sevila
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Pneumology Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Mercedes Navarro-de-Miguel
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Clinical Analysis Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Francisco Marco-de-la-Calle
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Immunology Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
| | - Jose-Manuel Ramos-Rincon
- Internal Medicine Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Clinical Medicine Department, Miguel Hernández University, N-332, 87, 03550 Alicante, Spain
| | - Rosario Sanchez-Martinez
- Internal Medicine Department, Dr. Balmis Universitary General Hospital, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Centro de Diagnóstico, Edif Gris, Planta 5ª, Avenida Pintor Baeza, 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Clinical Medicine Department, Miguel Hernández University, N-332, 87, 03550 Alicante, Spain
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2
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Altundaş N, Balkan E, Kızılkaya M, Aksungur N, Kara S, Korkut E, Sevinç C, Öztürk G. Impact of HLA Alleles on COVID-19 Severity in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Study. Cureus 2024; 16:e67881. [PMID: 39328629 PMCID: PMC11425025 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.67881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted global health, particularly affecting vulnerable populations, such as organ transplant recipients. Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) play a critical role in immune response regulation, and understanding their association with COVID-19 can provide insights into disease susceptibility and severity. This study aims to explore the association between HLA allele variability and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity among kidney transplant recipients. Methods In 2023, we conducted a study on 73 kidney transplant recipients who tested positive for COVID-19 via polymerase chain reaction. This study included assessments of clinical status, immunosuppressive drug levels, HLA allele frequencies, and donor-recipient tissue compatibility. Molecular analyses were performed using sequence-specific oligonucleotide typing, and statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Among the participants, 31 were hospitalized and 42 were treated as outpatients. Significant differences were observed in HLA allele distributions, particularly the HLA-A*11 allele, which was more prevalent in outpatient-treated patients, suggesting a potential protective effect. No significant age differences were observed between hospitalized and outpatient groups. Serum tacrolimus levels were notably higher in outpatients. Statistical analyses revealed significant associations between certain HLA groups and the severity of COVID-19 infection. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of HLA allele compatibility in influencing the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients. The findings suggest that specific HLA alleles may reduce susceptibility or moderate the severity of COVID-19, indicating a need for broader genetic studies across diverse populations to validate these observations and improve management strategies for transplant recipients during pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Necip Altundaş
- Department of General Surgery, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Eda Balkan
- Department of Medical Biology, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Murat Kızılkaya
- Department of Medical Biology, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Nurhak Aksungur
- Department of General Surgery, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Salih Kara
- Department of General Surgery, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Ercan Korkut
- Department of General Surgery, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Can Sevinç
- Department of Internal Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
| | - Gürkan Öztürk
- Department of General Surgery, Atatürk University, Erzurum, TUR
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3
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Maiti AK. Bioinformatic analysis predicts the regulatory function of noncoding SNPs associated with Long COVID-19 syndrome. Immunogenetics 2024:10.1007/s00251-024-01348-6. [PMID: 39042286 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-024-01348-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Long or Post COVID-19 is a condition of collected symptoms persisted after recovery from COVID-19. Host genetic factors play a crucial role in developing Long COVID-19, and GWAS studies identified several SNPs/genes in various ethnic populations. In African-American population two SNPS, rs10999901 (C>T, p = 3.6E-08, OR = 1.39, MAF-0,27, GRCH38, chr10:71584799 bp) and rs1868001 (G>A, p = 6.7E-09, OR = 1.40, MAF-0.46, GRCH38, chr10:71587815 bp) and in Hispanic population, rs3759084 (A>C, p = 9.7E-09, OR = 1.56, MAF-0.17, chr12: 81,110,156 bp) are strongly associated with Long COVID-19. All these three SNPs reside in noncoding regions implying their regulatory function in the genome. In silico dissection suggests that rs10999901 and rs1868001 physically interact with the CDH23 and C10orf105 genes. Both SNPs act as distant enhancers and bind with several transcription factors (TFs). Further, rs10999901 SNP is a CpG that is methylated in CD4++ T cells and monocytes and loses its methylation due to transition from C>T. rs3759084 is located in the promoter (- 687 bp) of MYF5, acts as a distant enhancer, and physically interacts with PTPRQ. These results offer plausible explanations for their association and provide the basis for experiments to dissect the development of symptoms of Long COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit K Maiti
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Mydnavar, 28475 Greenfield Rd, Southfield, USA.
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4
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Hai NTT, Nhung VP, Tam NTT, Ngoc TTB, Thuong MTH, Dai HV, Duong NT, Hai NV, Ton ND, Thach PN, Ha NH. HLA alleles associated with susceptibility and severity of the COVID-19 in Vietnamese. Hum Immunol 2024; 85:110796. [PMID: 38580537 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2024.110796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The diversity of clinical manifestations in COVID-19 has been observed not only among individuals but also among various populations in globally. HLA molecules play a central role in physiology, protective immunity, and deleterious, disease-related autoimmune reactivity or overreaction. This study exploited the association between HLA frequencies and SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and disease severity among the Vietnamese cohort (159 patients and 52 controls). A significant difference in frequency of both HLA class I and II in mild, moderate, and severe/fatal COVID-19 patients and negative exposure individuals - the controls were observed. Regarding SARS-CoV-2 sensitivity, HLA-A*03:01, 30:01, HLA-DQA1*01:02, DRB1*15:01, and DRB5*02:02 presented higher frequency in the control group compared with infected patients but DRB1 09:01 frequency was higher in infected patients. Regarding COVID-19 severity, HLA-F*01:01, 01:03 and DPA1*01:03 and 02:01, DPB1*04:01, DQA1*01:02, and DQB1*05:02 alleles were detected with higher frequency in severe patients but DOB*01:01, DRB1*05:01 and 09:01 had a significantly higher frequency in the mild group than remaining groups. Surprisingly, HLA-DQA1*01:02 and DRB1*09:01 alleles were identified with both inversely potential roles in protective function and severe risk. The obtained data herein will contribute to explore on the role of host genetic background in the pathology of COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai
- National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Kim Chung, Dong Anh, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam; Department of Biochemistry, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung, Dong Da, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Vu Phuong Nhung
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam
- Department of Biochemistry, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung, Dong Da, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Tran Thi Bich Ngoc
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Ma Thi Huyen Thuong
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Ha Van Dai
- National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Kim Chung, Dong Anh, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Thuy Duong
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Nong Van Hai
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Dang Ton
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam
| | - Pham Ngoc Thach
- National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Kim Chung, Dong Anh, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Hai Ha
- Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 10000, Viet Nam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 100000, Viet Nam.
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5
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Naidoo L, Arumugam T, Ramsuran V. Narrative Review Explaining the Role of HLA-A, -B, and -C Molecules in COVID-19 Disease in and around Africa. Infect Dis Rep 2024; 16:380-406. [PMID: 38667755 PMCID: PMC11049896 DOI: 10.3390/idr16020029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has left a devasting effect on various regions globally. Africa has exceptionally high rates of other infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and malaria, and was not impacted by COVID-19 to the extent of other continents Globally, COVID-19 has caused approximately 7 million deaths and 700 million infections thus far. COVID-19 disease severity and susceptibility vary among individuals and populations, which could be attributed to various factors, including the viral strain, host genetics, environment, lifespan, and co-existing conditions. Host genetics play a substantial part in COVID-19 disease severity among individuals. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) was previously been shown to be very important across host immune responses against viruses. HLA has been a widely studied gene region for various disease associations that have been identified. HLA proteins present peptides to the cytotoxic lymphocytes, which causes an immune response to kill infected cells. The HLA molecule serves as the central region for infectious disease association; therefore, we expect HLA disease association with COVID-19. Therefore, in this narrative review, we look at the HLA gene region, particularly, HLA class I, to understand its role in COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Naidoo
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa; (L.N.); (T.A.)
| | - Thilona Arumugam
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa; (L.N.); (T.A.)
| | - Veron Ramsuran
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa; (L.N.); (T.A.)
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
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6
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Mahmud MT, Ahmed F, Rana MJ, Rahman MA, Atta A, Saif-Ur-Rahman KM. Association of HLA gene polymorphisms with Helicobacter pylori related gastric cancer-a systematic review. HLA 2024; 103:e15394. [PMID: 38372631 DOI: 10.1111/tan.15394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The appropriate host cell immune responses for the progression of several diseases, including gastric or stomach cancer (GC), are significantly influenced by HLA polymorphisms. Our objective was to systematically review the evidence linking HLA polymorphisms with the risk of Helicobacter. pylori related GC. We conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify studies published between 2000 and April 2023 on the association of HLA polymorphisms with H. pylori related GC using databases such as Medline through PubMed, Embase, Web of Science (core collection), The Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Two authors independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies. From 7872 retrieved studies, 19 met inclusion criteria, encompassing 1656 cases and 16,787 controls across four World Health Organization regions, with Japan contributing the most studies. We explored HLA-A/B/C, HLA-DRB1/DQA1/DQB1, HLA-G, and MICA alleles. Of 29 significant HLA polymorphisms identified, 18 showed a positive association with GC, whereas 11 were negatively associated. HLA-DQB1*06 allele was most frequently associated to susceptibility, as reported in four studies, followed by HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DQA1*01, each reported in two studies. Conversely, HLA-G*01, HLA-DQA1*01, HLA-DQA1*05, and HLA-DQB1*03 were identified as protective in two studies each. Additionally, five genotypes and six haplotypes were reported as positive, whereas three genotypes and two haplotypes were negative factors for the disease incidence or mortality. Despite heterogeneity in the study population and types of HLA polymorphisms examined, our analysis indicates certain polymorphisms are associated with H. pylori related GC progression and mortality in specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Toslim Mahmud
- Department of Microbiology, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Sonapur, Noakhali, Bangladesh
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Feroz Ahmed
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
- Laboratory of Environmental Biology, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Md Jowel Rana
- Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Arifur Rahman
- Department of Microbiology, Noakhali Science & Technology University, Sonapur, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Afshan Atta
- Department of Hematopathology, Skims Tertiary Centre Hospital (STCH), Srinagar, India
| | - K M Saif-Ur-Rahman
- College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
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7
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Sharma N, Sharma G, Toor D. Plausible Influence of HLA Class I and Class II Diversity on SARS-CoV-2 Vulnerability. Crit Rev Immunol 2024; 44:31-40. [PMID: 37947070 DOI: 10.1615/critrevimmunol.2023049920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which adversely affected almost all aspects of human life and resulted in the loss of millions of lives, while affecting nearly 0.67 billion people worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 still poses a challenge to the healthcare system as there are more than 200,000 active cases of COVID-19 around the globe. Epidemiological data suggests that the magnitude of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 was low in a few geographical regions and was unpredictably higher in a few regions. The genetic diversity of different geographical regions might explain the sporadic prevalence of the disease. In this context, human leukocyte antigens (HLA) represent the most polymorphic gene-dense region of the human genome and serve as an excellent mini-genome model for evaluating population genetic diversity in the context of susceptibility and progression of various diseases. In this review, we highlight the plausible influence of HLA in susceptibility, severity, immune response, and designing of epitope-based vaccines for COVID-19. Further, there is a need for extensive investigations for illustration and clarification of the functional impact of HLA class I and II alleles in the pathogenesis and progression of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Sharma
- Department of Biosciences, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Gaurav Sharma
- Department of Translational and Regenerative Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Devinder Toor
- Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida, 201313, Uttar Pradesh, India
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8
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Warren RL, Abraham R, Calingo M, Garant JM, Jones SJM, Birol I. Establishing association between HLA-C*04:01 and severe COVID-19. HLA 2024; 103:e15355. [PMID: 38273454 DOI: 10.1111/tan.15355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- René L Warren
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rohan Abraham
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marc Calingo
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jean-Michel Garant
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Steven J M Jones
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Inanc Birol
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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9
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Hoseinnezhad T, Soltani N, Ziarati S, Behboudi E, Mousavi MJ. The role of HLA genetic variants in COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and mortality: A global review. J Clin Lab Anal 2024; 38:e25005. [PMID: 38251811 PMCID: PMC10829690 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.25005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound global impact, with variations in susceptibility, severity, and mortality rates across different regions. While many factors can contribute to the spread and impact of the disease, specifically human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genetic variants have emerged as potential contributors to COVID-19 outcomes. METHODS In this comprehensive narrative review, we conducted a thorough literature search to identify relevant studies investigating the association between HLA genetic variants and COVID-19 outcomes. Additionally, we analyzed allelic frequency data from diverse populations to assess differences in COVID-19 incidence and severity. RESULTS Our review provides insights into the immunological mechanisms involving HLA-mediated responses to COVID-19 and highlights potential research directions and therapeutic interventions. We found evidence suggesting that certain HLA alleles, such as HLA-A02, may confer a lower risk of COVID-19, while others, like HLA-C04, may increase the risk of severe symptoms and mortality. Furthermore, our analysis of allele frequency distributions revealed significant variations among different populations. CONCLUSION Considering host genetic variations, particularly HLA genetic variants, is crucial for understanding COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. These findings have implications for personalized treatment and interventions based on an individual's genetic profile. However, further research is needed to unravel the precise mechanisms underlying the observed associations and explore the potential for targeted therapies or preventive measures based on HLA genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taraneh Hoseinnezhad
- Student Research CommitteeBushehr University of Medical SciencesBushehrIran
- Department of Hematology, School of Para‐MedicineBushehr University of Medical SciencesBushehrIran
| | - Nasrin Soltani
- Student Research CommitteeBushehr University of Medical SciencesBushehrIran
- Department of Hematology, School of Para‐MedicineBushehr University of Medical SciencesBushehrIran
| | - Sarina Ziarati
- Student Research CommitteeBushehr University of Medical SciencesBushehrIran
| | - Emad Behboudi
- Department of Basic Medical SciencesKhoy University of Medical SciencesKhoyIran
| | - Mohammad Javad Mousavi
- Department of Hematology, School of Para‐MedicineBushehr University of Medical SciencesBushehrIran
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10
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Lerner A, Benzvi C, Vojdani A. HLA-DQ2/8 and COVID-19 in Celiac Disease: Boon or Bane. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2977. [PMID: 38138121 PMCID: PMC10745744 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues to pose a global threat. While its virulence has subsided, it has persisted due to the continual emergence of new mutations. Although many high-risk conditions related to COVID-19 have been identified, the understanding of protective factors remains limited. Intriguingly, epidemiological evidence suggests a low incidence of COVID-19-infected CD patients. The present study explores whether their genetic background, namely, the associated HLA-DQs, offers protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes. We hypothesize that the HLA-DQ2/8 alleles may shield CD patients from SARS-CoV-2 and its subsequent effects, possibly due to memory CD4 T cells primed by previous exposure to human-associated common cold coronaviruses (CCC) and higher affinity to those allele's groove. In this context, we examined potential cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 epitopes and human-associated CCC and assessed the binding affinity (BA) of these epitopes to HLA-DQ2/8. Using computational methods, we analyzed sequence similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and four distinct CCC. Of 924 unique immunodominant 15-mer epitopes with at least 67% identity, 37 exhibited significant BA to HLA-DQ2/8, suggesting a protective effect. We present various mechanisms that might explain the protective role of HLA-DQ2/8 in COVID-19-afflicted CD patients. If substantiated, these insights could enhance our understanding of the gene-environment enigma and viral-host relationship, guiding potential therapeutic innovations against the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Lerner
- The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262160, Israel;
- Research Department, Ariel University, Ariel 4077625, Israel
| | - Carina Benzvi
- The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262160, Israel;
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11
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Zhao X, Zhang M, Jia Y, Liu W, Li S, Gao C, Zhang L, Ni B, Ruan Z, Dong R. Featured immune characteristics of COVID-19 and systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by multidimensional integrated analyses. Inflamm Res 2023; 72:1877-1894. [PMID: 37725104 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-023-01791-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) shares similar immune characteristics with autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, such associations have not yet been investigated at the single-cell level. METHODS We integrated and analyzed RNA sequencing results from different patients and normal controls from the GEO database and identified subsets of immune cells that might involve in the pathogenesis of SLE and COVID- 19. We also disentangled the characteristic alterations in cell and molecular subset proportions as well as gene expression patterns in SLE patients compared with COVID-19 patients. RESULTS Key immune characteristic genes (such as CXCL10 and RACK1) and multiple immune-related pathways (such as the coronavirus disease-COVID-19, T-cell receptor signaling, and MIF-related signaling pathways) were identified. We also highlighted the differences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) between SLE and COVID-19 patients. Moreover, we provided an opportunity to comprehensively probe underlying B-cell‒cell communication with multiple ligand-receptor pairs (MIF-CD74+CXCR4, MIF-CD74+CD44) and the differentiation trajectory of B-cell clusters that is deemed to promote cell state transitions in COVID-19 and SLE. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the immune response differences and immune characteristic similarities, such as the cytokine storm, between COVID-19 and SLE, which might pivotally function in the pathogenesis of the two diseases and provide potential intervention targets for both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingwang Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Mengjie Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yuying Jia
- Department of Dermatology, The 901th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Dermatology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenying Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Shifei Li
- Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Cuie Gao
- Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Lian Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Bing Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Zhihua Ruan
- Department of Oncology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Rui Dong
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of High Altitude Military Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
- Chongqing International Institute for Immunology, Chongqing, 401320, China.
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12
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Fakhkhari M, Caidi H, Sadki K. HLA alleles associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity in different populations: a systematic review. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2023; 24:10. [PMID: 36710951 PMCID: PMC9867832 DOI: 10.1186/s43042-023-00390-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus called as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Detected for the first time in December 2019 in Wuhan and it has quickly spread all over the world in a couple of months and becoming a world pandemic. Symptoms of the disease and clinical outcomes are very different in infected people. These differences highlight the paramount need to study and understand the human genetic variation that occurring viral infections. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is an important component of the viral antigen presentation pathway, and it plays an essential role in conferring differential viral susceptibility and severity of diseases. HLA alleles have been involved in the immune response to viral diseases such as SARS-CoV-2. Main body of the abstract Herein, we sought to evaluate this hypothesis by summarizing the association between HLA class I and class II alleles with COVID-19 susceptibility and/or severity reported in previous studies among different populations (Chinese, Italian, Iranian, Japanese, Spanish, etc.). The findings of all selected articles showed that several alleles have been found associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. Even results across articles have been inconsistent and, in some cases, conflicting, highlighting that the association between the HLA system and the COVID-19 outcome might be ethnic-dependent, there were some alleles in common between some populations such as HLA-DRB1*15 and HLA-A*30:02. Conclusion These contradictory findings warrant further large, and reproducible studies to decipher any possible genetic predisposition underlying susceptibility to SARS-COV-2 and disease progression and host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meryem Fakhkhari
- Research Laboratory in Oral Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Hayat Caidi
- NARST Surveillance Unit, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Khalid Sadki
- Research Laboratory in Oral Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
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13
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Silva RCMC, Lopes MF, Travassos LH. Distinct T helper cell-mediated antitumor immunity: T helper 2 cells in focus. CANCER PATHOGENESIS AND THERAPY 2023; 1:76-86. [PMID: 38328613 PMCID: PMC10846313 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpt.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The adaptive arm of the immune system is crucial for appropriate antitumor immune responses. It is generally accepted that clusters of differentiation 4+ (CD4+) T cells, which mediate T helper (Th) 1 immunity (type 1 immunity), are the primary Th cell subtype associated with tumor elimination. In this review, we discuss evidence showing that antitumor immunity and better prognosis can be associated with distinct Th cell subtypes in experimental mouse models and humans, with a focus on Th2 cells. The aim of this review is to provide an overview and understanding of the mechanisms associated with different tumor outcomes in the face of immune responses by focusing on the (1) site of tumor development, (2) tumor properties (i. e., tumor metabolism and cytokine receptor expression), and (3) type of immune response that the tumor initially escaped. Therefore, we discuss how low-tolerance organs, such as lungs and brains, might benefit from a less tissue-destructive immune response mediated by Th2 cells. In addition, Th2 cells antitumor effects can be independent of CD8+ T cells, which would circumvent some of the immune escape mechanisms that tumor cells possess, like low expression of major histocompatibility-I (MHC-I). Finally, this review aims to stimulate further studies on the role of Th2 cells in antitumor immunity and briefly discusses emerging treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Cardoso Maciel Costa Silva
- Laboratory of Immunoreceptors and Signaling, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Marcela Freitas Lopes
- Laboratory of Immunity Biology George DosReis,Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Holanda Travassos
- Laboratory of Immunoreceptors and Signaling, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
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14
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Gupta K, Kaur G, Pathak T, Banerjee I. Systematic review and meta-analysis of human genetic variants contributing to COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. Gene 2022; 844:146790. [PMID: 35987511 PMCID: PMC9384365 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned global health crisis of unprecedented magnitude, claiming millions of lives and pushing healthcare systems in many countries to the brink. Among several factors that contribute to an increased risk of COVID-19 and progression to exacerbated manifestations, host genetic landscape is increasingly being recognized as a critical determinant of susceptibility/resistance to infection and a prognosticator of clinical outcomes in infected individuals. Recently, several case-control association studies investigated the influence of human gene variants on COVID-19 susceptibility and severity to identify the culpable mutations. However, a comprehensive synthesis of the recent advances in COVID-19 host genetics research was lacking, and the inconsistent findings of the association studies required reliable evaluation of the strength of association with greater statistical power. In this study, we embarked on a systematic search of all possible reports of genetic association with COVID-19 till April 07, 2022, and performed meta-analyses of all the genetic polymorphisms that were examined in at least three studies. After identifying a total of 84 studies that investigated the association of 130 polymorphisms in 61 genes, we performed meta-analyses of all the eligible studies. Seven genetic polymorphisms involving 15,550 cases and 444,007 controls were explored for association with COVID-19 susceptibility, of which, ACE1 I/D rs4646994/rs1799752, APOE rs429358, CCR5 rs333, and IFITM3 rs12252 showed increased risk of infection. Meta-analyses of 11 gene variants involving 6702 patients with severe COVID-19 and 8640 infected individuals with non-severe manifestations revealed statistically significant association of ACE2 rs2285666, ACE2 rs2106809, ACE2 rs2074192, AGTR1 rs5186, and TNFA rs1800629 with COVID-19 severity. Overall, our study presents a synthesis of evidence on all the genetic determinants implicated in COVID-19 to date, and provides evidence of correlation between the above polymorphisms with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Indranil Banerjee
- Cellular Virology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali (IISER Mohali), Sector 81, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali 140306, India.
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15
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van den Dijssel J, Hagen RR, de Jongh R, Steenhuis M, Rispens T, Geerdes DM, Mok JY, Kragten AHM, Duurland MC, Verstegen NJM, van Ham SM, van Esch WJE, van Gisbergen KPJM, Hombrink P, ten Brinke A, van de Sandt CE. Parallel detection of SARS-CoV-2 epitopes reveals dynamic immunodominance profiles of CD8 + T memory cells in convalescent COVID-19 donors. Clin Transl Immunology 2022; 11:e1423. [PMID: 36254196 PMCID: PMC9568370 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives High-magnitude CD8+ T cell responses are associated with mild COVID-19 disease; however, the underlying characteristics that define CD8+ T cell-mediated protection are not well understood. The antigenic breadth and the immunodominance hierarchies of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells remain largely unexplored and are essential for the development of next-generation broad-protective vaccines. This study identified a broad spectrum of conserved SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ T cell epitopes and defined their respective immunodominance and phenotypic profiles following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods CD8+ T cells from 51 convalescent COVID-19 donors were analysed for their ability to recognise 133 predicted and previously described SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides restricted by 11 common HLA class I allotypes using heterotetramer combinatorial coding, which combined with phenotypic markers allowed in-depth ex vivo profiling of CD8+ T cell responses at quantitative and phenotypic levels. Results A comprehensive panel of 49 mostly conserved SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cell epitopes, including five newly identified low-magnitude epitopes, was established. We confirmed the immunodominance of HLA-A*01:01/ORF1ab1637-1646 and B*07:02/N105-113 and identified B*35:01/N325-333 as a third epitope with immunodominant features. The magnitude of subdominant epitope responses, including A*03:01/N361-369 and A*02:01/S269-277, depended on the donors' HLA-I context. All epitopes expressed prevalent memory phenotypes, with the highest memory frequencies in severe COVID-19 donors. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a predominant CD8+ T memory response directed against a broad spectrum of conserved SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, which likely contributes to long-term protection against severe disease. The observed immunodominance hierarchy emphasises the importance of T cell epitopes derived from nonspike proteins to the overall protective and cross-reactive immune response, which could aid future vaccine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jet van den Dijssel
- Department of HematopoiesisSanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of Experimental ImmunohematologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Ruth R Hagen
- Department of HematopoiesisSanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of Experimental ImmunohematologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Rivka de Jongh
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Maurice Steenhuis
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Theo Rispens
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | - Juk Yee Mok
- Sanquin Reagents B.V.AmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | - Mariël C Duurland
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Niels JM Verstegen
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - S Marieke van Ham
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Swammerdam Institute for Life SciencesUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | - Klaas PJM van Gisbergen
- Department of HematopoiesisSanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Pleun Hombrink
- Department of HematopoiesisSanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Anja ten Brinke
- Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of ImmunopathologySanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Carolien E van de Sandt
- Department of HematopoiesisSanquin ResearchAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Landsteiner LaboratoryAmsterdam UMC location University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
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16
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Gelmez MY, Oktelik FB, Tahrali I, Yilmaz V, Kucuksezer UC, Akdeniz N, Cetin EA, Kose M, Cinar C, Oguz FS, Besisik S, Koksalan K, Ozdemir O, Senkal N, Gul A, Tuzun E, Deniz G. Immune modulation as a consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:954391. [PMID: 36110850 PMCID: PMC9468265 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.954391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Erroneous immune responses in COVID-19 could have detrimental effects, which makes investigation of immune network underlying COVID-19 pathogenesis a requisite. This study aimed to investigate COVID-19 related alterations within the frame of innate and adaptive immunity. Thirty-four patients clinically diagnosed with mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 disease were enrolled in this study. Decreased ILC1 and increased ILC2 subsets were detected in mild and moderate patients compared to healthy controls. NK cell subsets and cytotoxic capacity of NK cells were decreased in severe patients. Moreover, CD3+ T cells were reduced in severe patients and a negative correlation was found between CD3+ T cells and D-dimer levels. Likewise, moderate and severe patients showed diminished CD3+CD8+ T cells. Unlike T and NK cells, plasmablast and plasma cells were elevated in patients and IgG and IgA levels were particularly increased in severe patients. Severe patients also showed elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, reduced intracellular IFN-γ and increased intracellular IL-10 levels. Our findings emphasize that SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly alters immune responses and innate and acquired immunity are differentially modulated in line with the clinical severity of the disease. Elevation of IL-10 levels in NK cells and reduction of CD3+ and CD8+ T cells in severe patients might be considered as a protective response against the harmful effect of cytokine storm seen in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metin Yusuf Gelmez
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatma Betul Oktelik
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ilhan Tahrali
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Institute of Graduate Studies in Health Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Vuslat Yilmaz
- Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Umut Can Kucuksezer
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nilgun Akdeniz
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Esin Aktas Cetin
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Murat Kose
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cigdem Cinar
- Department of Medical Biology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatma Savran Oguz
- Department of Medical Biology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sevgi Besisik
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Istanbul Medical Faculty Hospital Blood Center, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kaya Koksalan
- Laboratory of Molecular Tuberculosis Epidemiology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozkan Ozdemir
- Genome Studies Program, Institute of Health Sciences, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Naci Senkal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Gul
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Erdem Tuzun
- Department of Neuroscience, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gunnur Deniz
- Department of Immunology, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
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17
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Parisi SG, Mengoli C, Basso M, Vicenti I, Gatti F, Scaggiante R, Fiaschi L, Giammarino F, Iannetta M, Malagnino V, Zago D, Dragoni F, Zazzi M. Long-Term Longitudinal Analysis of Neutralizing Antibody Response to Three Vaccine Doses in a Real-Life Setting of Previously SARS-CoV-2 Infected Healthcare Workers: A Model for Predicting Response to Further Vaccine Doses. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10081237. [PMID: 36016125 PMCID: PMC9416151 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the time course of neutralizing antibody (NtAb) response, as measured by authentic virus neutralization, in healthcare workers (HCWs) with a mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection diagnosed at the onset of the pandemic, with no reinfection throughout and after a three-dose schedule of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine with an overall follow-up of almost two years since infection. Forty-eight HCWs (median age 47 years, all immunocompetent) were evaluated: 29 (60.4%) were asymptomatic. NtAb serum was titrated at eight subsequent time points: T1 and T2 were after natural infection, T3 on the day of the first vaccine dose, T4 on the day of the second dose, T5, T6, and T7 were between the second and third dose, and T8 followed the third dose by a median of 34 days. NtAb titers at all postvaccination time points (T4 to T8) were significantly higher than all those at prevaccination time points (T1 to T3). The highest NtAb increase was following the first vaccine dose while subsequent doses did not further boost NtAb titers. However, the third vaccine dose appeared to revive waning immunity. NtAb levels were positively correlated at most time points suggesting an important role for immunogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saverio Giuseppe Parisi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli, 63, 35100 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (M.B.); (F.G.); (D.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-04-9827-23441
| | - Carlo Mengoli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli, 63, 35100 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (M.B.); (F.G.); (D.Z.)
| | - Monica Basso
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli, 63, 35100 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (M.B.); (F.G.); (D.Z.)
| | - Ilaria Vicenti
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy; (I.V.); (L.F.); (F.G.); (F.D.); (M.Z.)
| | - Francesca Gatti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli, 63, 35100 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (M.B.); (F.G.); (D.Z.)
| | | | - Lia Fiaschi
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy; (I.V.); (L.F.); (F.G.); (F.D.); (M.Z.)
| | - Federica Giammarino
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy; (I.V.); (L.F.); (F.G.); (F.D.); (M.Z.)
| | - Marco Iannetta
- Infectious Disease Unit, Department of System Medicine, Tor Vergata University and Hospital, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.I.); (V.M.)
| | - Vincenzo Malagnino
- Infectious Disease Unit, Department of System Medicine, Tor Vergata University and Hospital, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.I.); (V.M.)
| | - Daniela Zago
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via Gabelli, 63, 35100 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (M.B.); (F.G.); (D.Z.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Via Colugna 50, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Filippo Dragoni
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy; (I.V.); (L.F.); (F.G.); (F.D.); (M.Z.)
| | - Maurizio Zazzi
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Viale Bracci 16, 53100 Siena, Italy; (I.V.); (L.F.); (F.G.); (F.D.); (M.Z.)
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18
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Matsumoto A, Hara M, Ashenagar MS, Tokiya M, Sawada T, Iwasaka C, Furukawa T, Kitagawa K, Miyake Y, Hirota Y. Variant Allele of ALDH2, rs671, Associates with Attenuated Post-Vaccination Response in Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein IgG: A Prospective Study in the Japanese General Population. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1035. [PMID: 35891198 PMCID: PMC9320019 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the predictors of vaccine immunogenicity is essential for infection control. We have reported that the most prevalent polymorphism of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene (ALDH2), rs671, may be associated with an attenuated immune system. To test the inverse relationship between rs671 and antibody production after COVID-19 vaccination, the levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein S1 subunit (S1) IgG were repeatedly measured for four months before and after vaccination with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273, in 88 Japanese workers and students (including 45 females, aged 21-56 years, with an rs671 variant allele frequency of 0.3). The mixed model including fixed effects of the vaccine type, weeks post vaccination (categorical variable), sex, age, height, smoking status, ethanol intake, exercise habit, perceived stress, steroid use, allergic diseases, and dyslipidemia, indicated an inverse association between log-transformed anti-S1 IgG levels and the number of rs671 variant alleles (partial regression coefficient = -0.15, p = 0.002). Our study indicated for the first time that the variant allele of ALDH2, rs671, is associated with the attenuated immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Our finding may provide a basis for personalized disease prevention based on a genetic polymorphism that is prevalent among East Asians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Matsumoto
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan; (M.S.A.); (M.T.)
| | - Megumi Hara
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan; (M.H.); (C.I.); (T.F.)
| | - Mohammad Said Ashenagar
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan; (M.S.A.); (M.T.)
| | - Mikiko Tokiya
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan; (M.S.A.); (M.T.)
| | - Takeshi Sawada
- Division of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan;
| | - Chiharu Iwasaka
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan; (M.H.); (C.I.); (T.F.)
| | - Takuma Furukawa
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan; (M.H.); (C.I.); (T.F.)
| | - Kyoko Kitagawa
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan;
| | - Yasunobu Miyake
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Immunoscience, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 840-8501, Japan;
| | - Yoshio Hirota
- SOUSEIKAI Medical Group, Clinical Epidemiology Research Center, Medical Co., LTA, 3-6-1 Kashii-Teriha, Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan;
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HLA Allele Frequencies and Association with Severity of COVID-19 Infection in Northern Italian Patients. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111792. [PMID: 35681490 PMCID: PMC9179900 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
HLA allelic distribution was analysed in a cohort of 96 Northern Italian subjects (53M/43F) (mean age 59.9 ± 13.3 years) from Lombardy who developed COVID-19 during the first two pandemic waves to investigate possible correlations between HLA molecules and disease severity. An important role of HLA- B and HLA-C loci in modulating the clinical severity of COVID-19 disease was identified. In particular, the HLA-B07 supertype was observed to be associated with a significant risk for severe disease; conversely, the HLA-B27 supertype and C*12:02 allele played a protective role as they were associated with milder disease. These associations were confirmed after applying a multinomial regression analysis to adjust the correlation for age, gender and comorbidities with COVID-19 severity. Though the power of results is limited by the small sample size, data herein contribute to shedding light on the role played by genetic background in COVID-19 infection.
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Mocci S, Littera R, Tranquilli S, Provenzano A, Mascia A, Cannas F, Lai S, Giuressi E, Chessa L, Angioni G, Campagna M, Firinu D, Del Zompo M, La Nasa G, Perra A, Giglio S. A Protective HLA Extended Haplotype Outweighs the Major COVID-19 Risk Factor Inherited From Neanderthals in the Sardinian Population. Front Immunol 2022; 13:891147. [PMID: 35514995 PMCID: PMC9063452 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.891147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sardinia has one of the lowest incidences of hospitalization and related mortality in Europe and yet a very high frequency of the Neanderthal risk locus variant on chromosome 3 (rs35044562), considered to be a major risk factor for a severe SARS-CoV-2 disease course. We evaluated 358 SARS-CoV-2 patients and 314 healthy Sardinian controls. One hundred and twenty patients were asymptomatic, 90 were pauci-symptomatic, 108 presented a moderate disease course and 40 were severely ill. All patients were analyzed for the Neanderthal-derived genetic variants reported as being protective (rs1156361) or causative (rs35044562) for severe illness. The β°39 C>T Thalassemia variant (rs11549407), HLA haplotypes, KIR genes, KIRs and their HLA class I ligand combinations were also investigated. Our findings revealed an increased risk for severe disease in Sardinian patients carrying the rs35044562 high risk variant [OR 5.32 (95% CI 2.53 - 12.01), p = 0.000]. Conversely, the protective effect of the HLA-A*02:01, B*18:01, DRB*03:01 three-loci extended haplotype in the Sardinian population was shown to efficiently contrast the high risk of a severe and devastating outcome of the infection predicted for carriers of the Neanderthal locus [OR 15.47 (95% CI 5.8 - 41.0), p < 0.0001]. This result suggests that the balance between risk and protective immunogenetic factors plays an important role in the evolution of COVID-19. A better understanding of these mechanisms may well turn out to be the biggest advantage in the race for the development of more efficient drugs and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mocci
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Roberto Littera
- Medical Genetics Unit, R. Binaghi Hospital, Local Public Health and Social Care Unit (ASSL) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Association for the Advancement of Research on Transplantation O.d.V., Non Profit Organisation, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Stefania Tranquilli
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Aldesia Provenzano
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessia Mascia
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federica Cannas
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sara Lai
- Medical Genetics Unit, R. Binaghi Hospital, Local Public Health and Social Care Unit (ASSL) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Erika Giuressi
- Medical Genetics Unit, R. Binaghi Hospital, Local Public Health and Social Care Unit (ASSL) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luchino Chessa
- Association for the Advancement of Research on Transplantation O.d.V., Non Profit Organisation, Cagliari, Italy.,Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Goffredo Angioni
- Structure of Infectious Diseases Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marcello Campagna
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Davide Firinu
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Del Zompo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giorgio La Nasa
- Hematology Unit, Businco Hospital, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Andrea Perra
- Association for the Advancement of Research on Transplantation O.d.V., Non Profit Organisation, Cagliari, Italy.,Unit of Oncology and Molecular Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Sabrina Giglio
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, R. Binaghi Hospital, Local Public Health and Social Care Unit (ASSL) of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Centre for Research University Services (CeSAR, Centro Servizi di Ateneo per la Ricerca), University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
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21
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de Araújo JLF, Menezes D, de Aguiar RS, de Souza RP. IFITM3, FURIN, ACE1, and TNF-α Genetic Association With COVID-19 Outcomes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Genet 2022; 13:775246. [PMID: 35432458 PMCID: PMC9010674 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.775246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human polymorphisms may contribute to SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility and COVID-19 outcomes (asymptomatic presentation, severe COVID-19, death). We aimed to evaluate the association of IFITM3, FURIN, ACE1, and TNF-α genetic variants with both phenotypes using meta-analysis. The bibliographic search was conducted on the PubMed and Scielo databases covering reports published until February 8, 2022. Two independent researchers examined the study quality using the Q-Genie tool. Using the Mantel–Haenszel weighted means method, odds ratios were combined under both fixed- and random-effect models. Twenty-seven studies were included in the systematic review (five with IFITM3, two with Furin, three with TNF-α, and 17 with ACE1) and 22 in the meta-analysis (IFITM3 n = 3, TNF-α, and ACE1 n = 16). Meta-analysis indicated no association of 1) ACE1 rs4646994 and susceptibility, 2) ACE1 rs4646994 and asymptomatic COVID-19, 3) IFITM3 rs12252 and ICU hospitalization, and 4) TNF-α rs1800629 and death. On the other hand, significant results were found for ACE1 rs4646994 association with COVID-19 severity (11 studies, 692 severe cases, and 1,433 nonsevere controls). The ACE1 rs4646994 deletion allele showed increased odds for severe manifestation (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.26–1.66). The homozygous deletion was a risk factor (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.22–1.83), while homozygous insertion presented a protective effect (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.45–0.74). Further reports are needed to verify this effect on populations with different ethnic backgrounds.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prosperodisplay_record.php?ID=CRD42021268578, identifier CRD42021268578
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