Genetic Factors Predicting COVID-19 Severity in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Matic Sanja, Milovanovic Dragan, Mijailovic Zeljko, Djurdjevic Predrag, Stefanovic Srdjan, Todorovic Danijela, Vitosevic Katarina, Canovic Vanja, Popovic Suzana, Dimitrijevic Nevena Milivojevic, Zivanovic Marko, Seklic Dragana, Aleksic Sanja, Djordjevic Nemanja, Vukic Milena, Vukovic Nenad, Filipovic Nenad, Baskic Dejan, Djordjevic Natasa
Primary Institution: University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Serbia
Hypothesis
Can ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genetic polymorphisms predict the severity and outcome of COVID-19 in females?
Conclusion
The study found that specific genetic polymorphisms in ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are independent predictors of COVID-19 severity and outcomes in females.
Supporting Evidence
- Females with TMPRSS2 rs2070788 A/A genotype were less likely to develop severe COVID-19.
- Carriers of at least one ACE2 rs2106809 C allele had a lower likelihood of dying from COVID-19.
- The study included 178 hospitalized patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Genotyping was performed using Real-Time PCR method with TaqMan assays.
- Statistical analyses included univariable and multivariable logistic regression.
- Significant associations were found only in the female population.
- Clinical factors like CCI and LDH levels were also significant in predicting outcomes.
- The study highlights the importance of genetic factors in COVID-19 severity.
Takeaway
This study looked at how certain genes might affect how sick women get from COVID-19, finding that some gene variations can help predict who will get very sick.
Methodology
The study involved genotyping patients for specific genetic polymorphisms and analyzing their association with COVID-19 severity and outcomes.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include selection bias and confounding variables that were not controlled for, such as viral load and patient health habits.
Limitations
The study was conducted at a single center with a relatively small sample size, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Participants were hospitalized COVID-19 patients, primarily Caucasian females aged 18 and older.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.004 for ACE2 rs2106809 and 0.030 for TMPRSS2 rs2070788
Confidence Interval
[0.000; 0.981] for ACE2 rs2106809 and [0.001; 0.862] for TMPRSS2 rs2070788
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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