Human-SARS-CoV-2 interactome and human genetic diversity: TMPRSS2-rs2070788, associated with severe influenza, and its population genetics caveats in Native Americans

For human/SARS-CoV-2 interactome genes ACE2, TMPRSS2 and BSG, there is a convincing evidence of association in Asians with influenza-induced SARS for TMPRSS2-rs2070788, tag-SNP of the eQTL rs383510. This case illustrates the importance of population genetics and of sequencing data in the design of genetic association studies in different human populations: the high linkage disequilibrium (LD) between rs2070788 and rs383510 is Asian-specific. Leveraging on a combination of genotyping and sequencing data for Native Americans (neglected in genetic studies), we show that while their frequencies of the Asian tag-SNP rs2070788 is, surprisingly, the highest worldwide, it is not in LD with the eQTL rs383510, that therefore, should be directly genotyped in genetic association studies of SARS in populations with Native American ancestry.

Origins, Admixture Dynamics, and Homogenization of the African Gene Pool in the Americas

The Transatlantic Slave Trade transported more than 9 million Africans to the Americas between the early 16th and the mid-19th centuries. We performed a genome-wide analysis using 6,267 individuals from 25 populations to infer how different African groups contributed to North-, South-American, and Caribbean populations, in the context of geographic and geopolitical factors, and compared genetic data with demographic history records of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We observed that West-Central Africa and Western Africa-associated ancestry clusters are more prevalent in northern latitudes of the Americas, whereas the South/East Africa-associated ancestry cluster is more prevalent in southern latitudes of the Americas. This pattern results from geographic and geopolitical factors leading to population differentiation. However, there is a substantial decrease in the between-population differentiation of the African gene pool within the Americas, when compared with the regions of origin from Africa, underscoring the importance of historical factors favoring admixture between individuals with different African origins in the New World. This between-population homogenization in the Americas is consistent with the excess of West-Central Africa ancestry (the most prevalent in the Americas) in the United States and Southeast-Brazil, with respect to historical-demography expectations. We also inferred that in most of the Americas, intercontinental admixture intensification occurred between 1750 and 1850, which correlates strongly with the peak of arrivals from Africa. This study contributes with a population genetics perspective to the ongoing social, cultural, and political debate regarding ancestry, admixture, and the mestizaje process in the Americas.

The history behind the mosaic of the Americas

Focusing on literature published in 2018-2020, we review inferences about: (i) how ancient DNA is contributing to clarify the peopling of the Americas and the dispersal of its first inhabitants, (ii) how the interplay between environmental diversity and culture has influenced the genetic structure and adaptation of Andean and Amazon populations, (iii) how genetics has contributed to our understanding of the Pre-Columbian Tupi expansion in Eastern South America, (iv) the subcontinental origins and dynamics of Post-Columbian admixture in the Americas, and finally, (v) episodes of adaptive natural selection in the American continent, particularly in the high altitudes of the Andes.

[Nursing diagnosis in patients in intensive care units]

The aim of this study was to identify the nursing care needs of patients of critical care unit. The nursing diagnoses of 32 patients was formulated. The data was collected by interview and physical examination and the Functional Health Patterns was the framework to collect the data and to identify the predominant dysfunctional health areas.