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Megasari NLA, Khairunisa SQ, Arizandy RY, Wijaksana IKE, Wungu CDK. Cytokine profiles of mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infected and recovered pre-vaccinated individuals residing in Indonesia. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17257. [PMID: 38646483 PMCID: PMC11032655 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence suggests the involvement of cytokine-mediated inflammation, in clinical severity and death related to SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially among pre-vaccinated individuals. An increased risk of death was also described among SARS-CoV-2 recovered individuals, which might be correlated with prolonged inflammatory responses. Despite being among the countries with the highest cumulative deaths due to COVID-19, evidence regarding cytokine profiles among SARS-CoV-2 infected and recovered pre-vaccinated individuals in Indonesia is scarce. Thus, this study aimed to describe the cytokines profiles of pre-vaccinated individuals residing in Indonesia, with mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection and those who recovered. Methods Sixty-one sera from 24 hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection, 24 individuals recovered from asymptomatic-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 13 healthy controls unexposed to SARS-CoV-2 were used in this study. Quantification of serum cytokine levels, including IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, TNF-α, CCL-2, CCL-3, CCL-4, and CXCL-13, was performed using a Luminex multi-analyte-profiling (xMAP)-based assay. Results The levels of IL-8 along with CCL-2 and CCL-4, were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01) in hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovered individuals compared to healthy controls. However, no significant difference was observed in these cytokine levels between infected and recovered individuals. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in several other cytokine levels, including IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, CCL-3, and CXCL-13, among all groups. Conclusion IL-8, CCL-2, and CCL-4 were significantly elevated in pre-vaccinated Indonesian individuals with mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection and those who recovered. The cytokine profiles described in this study might indicate inflammatory responses not only among SARS-CoV-2 infected, but also recovered individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Luh Ayu Megasari
- Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
- Postgraduate School, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | | | | | - I. Komang Evan Wijaksana
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Citrawati Dyah Kencono Wungu
- Institute of Tropical Disease, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
- Department of Physiology and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
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Tan VY, Timpson NJ. The UK Biobank: A Shining Example of Genome-Wide Association Study Science with the Power to Detect the Murky Complications of Real-World Epidemiology. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:569-589. [PMID: 35508184 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-121321-093606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have successfully identified thousands of genetic variants that are reliably associated with human traits. Although GWASs are restricted to certain variant frequencies, they have improved our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex traits and diseases. The UK Biobank (UKBB) has brought substantial analytical opportunity and performance to association studies. The dramatic expansion of many GWAS sample sizes afforded by the inclusion of UKBB data has improved the power of estimation of effect sizes but, critically, has done so in a context where phenotypic depth and precision enable outcome dissection and the application of epidemiological approaches. However, at the same time, the availability of such a large, well-curated, and deeply measured population-based collection has the capacity to increase our exposure to the many complications and inferential complexities associated with GWASs and other analyses. In this review, we discuss the impact that UKBB has had in the GWAS era, some of the opportunities that it brings, and exemplar challenges that illustrate the reality of using data from this world-leading resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Y Tan
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom;
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J Timpson
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom;
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Pietzner M, Chua RL, Wheeler E, Jechow K, Willett JDS, Radbruch H, Trump S, Heidecker B, Zeberg H, Heppner FL, Eils R, Mall MA, Richards JB, Sander LE, Lehmann I, Lukassen S, Wareham NJ, Conrad C, Langenberg C. ELF5 is a potential respiratory epithelial cell-specific risk gene for severe COVID-19. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4484. [PMID: 35970849 PMCID: PMC9378714 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31999-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite two years of intense global research activity, host genetic factors that predispose to a poorer prognosis of COVID-19 infection remain poorly understood. Here, we prioritise eight robust (e.g., ELF5) or suggestive but unreported (e.g., RAB2A) candidate protein mediators of COVID-19 outcomes by integrating results from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative with population-based plasma proteomics using statistical colocalisation. The transcription factor ELF5 (ELF5) shows robust and directionally consistent associations across different outcome definitions, including a >4-fold higher risk (odds ratio: 4.88; 95%-CI: 2.47-9.63; p-value < 5.0 × 10-6) for severe COVID-19 per 1 s.d. higher genetically predicted plasma ELF5. We show that ELF5 is specifically expressed in epithelial cells of the respiratory system, such as secretory and alveolar type 2 cells, using single-cell RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry. These cells are also likely targets of SARS-CoV-2 by colocalisation with key host factors, including ACE2 and TMPRSS2. In summary, large-scale human genetic studies together with gene expression at single-cell resolution highlight ELF5 as a risk gene for severe COVID-19, supporting a role of epithelial cells of the respiratory system in the adverse host response to SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Pietzner
- Computational Medicine, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Robert Lorenz Chua
- Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eleanor Wheeler
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katharina Jechow
- Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian D S Willett
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Helena Radbruch
- Department of Neuropathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Saskia Trump
- Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Heidecker
- Department of Cardiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hugo Zeberg
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Frank L Heppner
- Department of Neuropathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence, NeuroCure, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roland Eils
- Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Health Data Science Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital and BioQuant, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), associated partner site, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus A Mall
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), associated partner site, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - J Brent Richards
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Departments of Medicine, Human Genetics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Twin Research, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leif-Erik Sander
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Irina Lehmann
- Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), associated partner site, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sören Lukassen
- Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Christian Conrad
- Center for Digital Health, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Claudia Langenberg
- Computational Medicine, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Kalinina O, Golovkin A, Zaikova E, Aquino A, Bezrukikh V, Melnik O, Vasilieva E, Karonova T, Kudryavtsev I, Shlyakhto E. Cytokine Storm Signature in Patients with Moderate and Severe COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23168879. [PMID: 36012146 PMCID: PMC9408700 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypercytokinemia, found in SARS-CoV-2 infection, contributes to multiple organ dysfunctions with acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock etc. The aim of this study was to describe cytokine storm signatures in patients with acute COVID-19 and to investigate their influence on severity of the infection. Plasma levels of 47 cytokines were investigated in 73 patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 (41 and 32, respectively) and 11 healthy donors (HD). The most elevated levels comparing patients and the HD were observed for seven pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, IL-18, IL-27, IFNγ, TNFα), three chemokines (GROα, IP-10, MIG), two anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1RA, IL-10), and two growth factors (G-CSF, M-CSF). The patients with severe disease had significantly higher levels of FGF-2/FGF-basic, IL-1β, and IL-7 compared to the HD. The two groups of patients differed from each other only based on the levels of EGF, eotaxin, and IL-12 p40. Pneumonia lung injury, characterized by computer tomography, positively correlated with levels of EGF, IP-10, MCP-3 levels and negatively with IL-12 p40. Pro-inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNFα, and IP-10 negatively correlated with the frequency of the circulating T-helper17-like cells (Th17-like) and follicular Th cells that are crucial to develop SARS-CoV-2-specific plasma cells and memory B cells. Obtained data on the cytokine levels illustrate their influence on progression and severity of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Kalinina
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexey Golovkin
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Ekaterina Zaikova
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Arthur Aquino
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vadim Bezrukikh
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olesya Melnik
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena Vasilieva
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatiana Karonova
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Igor Kudryavtsev
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeny Shlyakhto
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre, 197341 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Au Yeung SL, Li AM, He B, Kwok KO, Schooling CM. Association of smoking, lung function and COPD in COVID-19 risk: a two-step Mendelian randomization study. Addiction 2022; 117:2027-2036. [PMID: 35220625 PMCID: PMC9111410 DOI: 10.1111/add.15852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Smoking increases the risk of severe COVID-19, but whether lung function or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mediate the underlying associations is unclear. We conducted the largest Mendelian randomization study to date, to our knowledge, to address these questions. DESIGN Mendelian randomization study using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), FinnGen and UK Biobank. The main analysis was the inverse variance weighted method, and we included a range of sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the findings. SETTING GWAS which included international consortia, FinnGen and UK Biobank. PARTICIPANTS The sample size ranged from 193 638 to 2 586 691. MEASUREMENTS Genetic determinants of life-time smoking index, lung function [e.g. forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1 )], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and different severities of COID-19. RESULTS Smoking increased the risk of COVID-19 compared with population controls for overall COVID-19 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.19 per standard deviation (SD) of life-time smoking index, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-1.27], hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.42-1.97) or severe COVID-19 (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.10-1.98), with directionally consistent effects from sensitivity analyses. Lung function and COPD liability did not appear to mediate these associations. CONCLUSION There is genetic evidence that smoking probably increases the risk of severe COVID-19 and possibly also milder forms of COVID-19. Decreased lung function and increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do not seem to mediate the effect of smoking on COVID-19 risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiu Lun Au Yeung
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Albert Martin Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Baoting He
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kin On Kwok
- Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Shenzhen Research Institute of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - C Mary Schooling
- School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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Luo S, Liang Y, Wong THT, Schooling CM, Au Yeung SL. Identifying factors contributing to increased susceptibility to COVID-19 risk: a systematic review of Mendelian randomization studies. Int J Epidemiol 2022; 51:1088-1105. [PMID: 35445260 PMCID: PMC9047195 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyac076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To summarize modifiable factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggested by Mendelian randomization studies. Methods In this systematic review, we searched PubMed, EMBASE and MEDLINE, from inception to 15 November 2021, for Mendelian randomization studies in English. We selected studies that assessed associations of genetically predicted exposures with COVID-19-related outcomes (severity, hospitalization and susceptibility). Risk of bias of the included studies was evaluated based on the consideration of the three main assumptions for instrumental variable analyses. Results We identified 700 studies through systematic search, of which 50 Mendelian randomization studies were included. Included studies have explored a wide range of socio-demographic factors, lifestyle attributes, anthropometrics and biomarkers, predisposition to diseases and druggable targets in COVID-19 risk. Mendelian randomization studies suggested that increases in smoking, obesity and inflammatory factors were associated with higher risk of COVID-19. Predisposition to ischaemic stroke, combined bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, chronic kidney disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was potentially associated with higher COVID-19 risk. Druggable targets, such as higher protein expression of histo-blood group ABO system transferase (ABO), interleukin (IL)-6 and lower protein expression of 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) were associated with higher risk of COVID-19. There was no strong genetic evidence supporting the role of vitamin D, glycaemic traits and predisposition to cardiometabolic diseases in COVID-19 risk. Conclusion This review summarizes modifiable factors for intervention (e.g. smoking, obesity and inflammatory factors) and proteomic signatures (e.g. OAS1 and IL-6) that could help identify drugs for treating COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Luo
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying Liang
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tommy Hon Ting Wong
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Catherine Mary Schooling
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, USA
| | - Shiu Lun Au Yeung
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Palmos AB, Millischer V, Menon DK, Nicholson TR, Taams LS, Michael B, Sunderland G, Griffiths MJ, Hübel C, Breen G; COVID Clinical Neuroscience Study Consortium. Proteome-wide Mendelian randomization identifies causal links between blood proteins and severe COVID-19. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010042. [PMID: 35239653 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In November 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic death toll surpassed five million individuals. We applied Mendelian randomization including >3,000 blood proteins as exposures to identify potential biomarkers that may indicate risk for hospitalization or need for respiratory support or death due to COVID-19, respectively. After multiple testing correction, using genetic instruments and under the assumptions of Mendelian Randomization, our results were consistent with higher blood levels of five proteins GCNT4, CD207, RAB14, C1GALT1C1, and ABO being causally associated with an increased risk of hospitalization or respiratory support/death due to COVID-19 (ORs = 1.12-1.35). Higher levels of FAAH2 were solely associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (OR = 1.19). On the contrary, higher levels of SELL, SELE, and PECAM-1 decrease risk of hospitalization or need for respiratory support/death (ORs = 0.80-0.91). Higher levels of LCTL, SFTPD, KEL, and ATP2A3 were solely associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization (ORs = 0.86-0.93), whilst higher levels of ICAM-1 were solely associated with a decreased risk of respiratory support/death of COVID-19 (OR = 0.84). Our findings implicate blood group markers and binding proteins in both hospitalization and need for respiratory support/death. They, additionally, suggest that higher levels of endocannabinoid enzymes may increase the risk of hospitalization. Our research replicates findings of blood markers previously associated with COVID-19 and prioritises additional blood markers for risk prediction of severe forms of COVID-19. Furthermore, we pinpoint druggable targets potentially implicated in disease pathology.
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Abstract
Vulnerability to coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 varies due to differences in interferon gamma (IFNγ) immunity. We investigated whether a key modifiable interferon precursor, interleukin-18, was related to COVID-19, overall and by severity, using Mendelian randomisation. We used four established genome-wide significant genetic predictors of interleukin-18 applied to the most recent genome-wide association study of COVID-19 (June 2021) to obtain Mendelian randomisation inverse variance weighted estimates by severity, i.e. any (cases = 112 612, non-cases = 2 474 079), hospitalised (cases = 24 274, non-cases = 2 061 529) and very severe (cases = 8779, non-cases = 1 001 875) COVID-19. To be comprehensive, we also conducted an exploratory analysis for IFNγ and two related cytokines with less well-established genetic predictors, i.e. interleukin-12 and interleukin-23. Genetically predicted interleukin-18 was associated with lower risk of any COVID-19 (odds ratio (OR) 0.96 per standard deviation, 95% confidence interval (0.94–0.99, P-value 0.004)) and of very severe COVID-19 (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78–0.999, P-value 0.048). Sensitivity analysis and a more liberal genetic instrument selection gave largely similar results. Few genome-wide significant genetic predictors were available for IFNγ, interleukin-12 or interleukin-23, and no associations with COVID-19 were evident. Interleukin-18 could be a modifiable target to prevent COVID-19 and should be further explored in an experimental design.
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