Variations in genes increase chance of SARS-CoV-2 infection, says study

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, August 19

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, have identified the gene variants that either make an individual more susceptible to Covid-19 infection or elevate the risk of severe disease progression.

The study exemplified a correlation study between polymorphisms (mutation in genes) present in the genes and Covid-19 susceptibility and severity. The study aims at identifying susceptible individuals and designing therapeutic strategies for Covid-19.

Among several factors that contribute to an increased risk of Covid-19 and progression to severe illness, a patient’s genetic landscape is increasingly being recognised 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.

Indranil Banerjee, Cellular Virology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, IISER, Mohali, said: “Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists and clinicians were baffled with the question why some people are more susceptible to Covid-19 or progress to more severe manifestations when others don’t. While established risk factors such as age, sex, underlying medical conditions, environmental factors, etc., correlate with disease severity, risk factors alone do not explain why some young, healthy individuals suffer severe or life-threatening illness, whereas others remain unaffected, even upon exposure to the virus. Scientists speculated that the answer might lie in our genes.”

In this study, the scientists embarked on a systematic search of all possible reports of genetic association with Covid-19 and performed analysis of all genetic polymorphisms. The study found that variations in genes (ACE1, APOE, CCR5, and IFITM3) significantly increase the chance of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, comparing the data of 6,702 patients, who suffered critical illness or succumbed to the disease, with 8,640 infected individuals with mild conditions, it was found that variants of genes (ACE2, AGTR1, and TNFA) are responsible for progression to severe Covid-19 manifestations.

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