Protective effects of IL18-105G > A and IL18-137C > Ggenetic variants on severity of COVID-19

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN

A cross-sectional study evaluated the IL18-105G > A (rs360717) and IL18-137C > G (rs187238) variants on Coronavírus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

528 patients with COVID-19 classifed with mild (n = 157), moderate (n = 63) and critical (n = 308) disease were genotpyed for the IL18-105G > A and IL18-137C > G variants.

RESULTS

We observed associations between severe + critical COVID-19 groups (reference group was mild COVID-19) and the IL18-105G > A (p = 0.008) and IL18-137C > G (p = 0.01) variants, which remained significant after adjusting for sex, ethnicity and age. Consequently, we have examined the associations between moderate + critical COVID-19 and the genotypes of both variants using different genetic models. The IL18-105G > A was associated with severe disease (moderate + critical), with effects of the GA genotype in the codominant [Odds ratio (OR), (95 % confidence interval) 0.55, 0.34-0.89, p = 0.015], overdominant (0.56, 0.35-0.89, p = 0.014) and dominant (0.60, 0.38-0.96, p = 0.031) models. IL18-105 GA coupled with age, chest computed tomograhy scan anormalities, body mass index, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and inflammation may be used to predict the patients who develop severe disease with an accuracy of 84.3 % (sensitivity: 83.3 % and specificity: 86.5 %). Therefore, the presence of the IL18-105 A allele in homozygosis or heterozygosis conferred about 44.0 % of protection in the development of moderate and severe COVID-19. The IL18-137C > G variant was also associated with protective effects in the codominant (0.55, 0.34-0.89, p = 0.015), overdominant (0.57, 0.36-0.91, p = 0.018), and dominant models (0.59, 0.37-0.93, p = 0.025). Therefore, the IL18-137 G allele showed a protective effect against COVID-19 severity.

CONCLUSION

The IL18-105G > A and IL18-137C > Gvariants may contribute with protective effects for COVID-19 severity and the effects of IL18-137C > G may be modulating IL-18 production and Th1-mediated immune responses.

Effect of phthalocyanine oral and nasal antiseptic solutions on the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19: a randomized controlled trial

Background

In individuals with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load (VL) plays an important role in infectivity.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the reduction in the VL and infectivity induced by phthalocyanine mouthwash and nasal spray in patients with COVID-19.

Methods

Patients with mild COVID-19 were recruited to participate in a triple-blinded randomized controlled trial. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: Group 1, non-active mouthwash and saline nasal spray (SNS); Group 2, phthalocyanine mouthwash and SNS; and Group 3 phthalocyanine mouthwash and phthalocyanine nasal spray. VL was assessed in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs collected at the time of clinical diagnosis at baseline as well as 24 and 72 hours after starting the rinsing protocols.

Findings

Forty-six participants were included in the analysis: 15, 16, and 15 in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. After 72 hours, the reduction in VL was significantly higher in Group 3 (mean cycle threshold (Ct) decrease: 11.21) than in Group 1 (mean Ct decrease: 5.53). Additionally, only the mean VL in Group 3 was reduced to a non-contagious level after 72 hours.

Main conclusions

Use of phthalocyanine mouthwash and nasal spray is effective at reducing SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.

ESTUDO DA ASSOCIAÇÃO DE POLIMORFISMOS GENÉTICOS DA IL-18 NA COVID-19

Introdução

Há evidências da associação da gravidade da COVID-19 com níveis séricos elevados da interleucina-18 (IL-18), as variantes genéticas desta citocina podem influenciar sua expressão e níveis séricos, contribuindo para a gravidade da COVID-19, há poucos estudos que correlacionam os polimorfismos genéticos da IL-18 com a gravidade desta doença, por isso buscamos contribuir para a compreensão da heterogeneidade clínica e desfecho em uma amostra da população brasileira de pacientes com COVID-19.

Objetivo

Avaliar a associação dos polimorfismos no gene da IL-18 com a gravidade clínica e desfecho da COVID-19 em uma amostra do estado do Paraná (PR).

Método

O estudo incluiu 158 pacientes de ambos os sexos, que recorreram ao serviço de atendimento hospitalar no período de junho a novembro de 2020 e que testaram positivo para SARS-CoV-2/RT-PCR+. Foram incluídos pacientes advindos da Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (UNICENTRO) de Guarapuava; da Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL) em Londrina e da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR) em Curitiba. As análises moleculares foram realizadas no Instituto para Pesquisa do Câncer (IPEC) de Guarapuava - PR.

A coorte foi composta por 3 grupos e a estratificação dos casos foi feita por gravidade, conforme critérios estabelecidos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde.

Resultados

Avaliamos as variantes da IL-18 associados a gravidade da COVID-19 (casos leves x casos moderados e graves) e obtivemos os seguintes polimorfismos: rs360721 (alelos: C/G /freq: 0.22/ OR 1.603 (0.849; -3.026)/p: 0.1456), rs549908 (alelos: G/T /freq: 0.22/ OR 1.285 (0.6617; -2.496)/p: 0.4588), rs45497197 (alelos: T/C /freq: 0.01/ OR 0.2173 (0.01918; -2.463)/p: 0.2179), rs147751347 (alelos: T/G /freq: 0.02/ OR 1.532 (0.3591; -6.539)/p: 0.5643), rs141025779 (alelos: A/G / freq: 0.02/ OR 1.657 (0.3826; - 7.178)/ p: 0.4994), rs4988359 (alelos: C/T / freq: 0.14 / OR 1.166 (0.5261; -2.584)/p: 0.7052). Consideramos também a associação entre o desfecho clínico (recuperados x óbitos), neste cenário encontramos apenas uma variante: rs549908 (alelos: G/T / freq: 0.22 / OR 0.2556 (0.08; - 0.78)/p: 0.01757).

Conclusão

Esses achados sugerem que a variante do gene da IL-18, rs549908, está associado ao desfecho clínico da COVID-19 e que são necessários mais estudos para avaliar importância das variantes genéticas do gene da IL-18 como marcadores de prognóstico na doença.

Ag. Financiadora

Fundação Araucária.