Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease, and the reason behind the currently ongoing pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) has been recognized as the specific receptor of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Although the possible effect of ACE2 gene polymorphism remains unknown, human ACE2 receptor expression influences SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease outcome. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between ACE gene I/D polymorphism, ACE2 receptor gene polymorphism, and COVID-19 severity. ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and ACE2 receptor gene rs2106809 and rs2285666 polymorphisms were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism methods, respectively, in 155 COVID-19 patients who were divided into three groups (mild, moderate, and severe) according to clinical symptoms. However, the distribution of genotype and allele frequencies of ACE gene I/D, ACE2 receptor gene rs2106809, and rs2285666 polymorphisms were not statistically significant in all groups. In conclusion, in the study population, ACE gene I/D, ACE2 receptor gene rs2106809, and rs2285666 polymorphisms were not associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection. Although ACE2 receptor gene expression may affect the susceptibility to COVID-19, there is no existing evidence that the ACE or ACE2 gene polymorphisms are directly associated with COVID-19 severity. Interindividual differences in COVID-19 severity might be related to epigenetic mechanisms of ACE2 receptor gene expression or variations in other genes suggested to play a critical role in COVID-19 pathogenesis such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and coagulation indicators.
Keywords: ACE; ACE2; COVID-19; rs2106809; rs2285666.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, ACE2, ACE, rs2106809, rs2285666., 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, pandemic, Cytokines, Pathogenesis, Clinical symptoms, susceptibility, severity, Variation, rs2285666, allele frequency, Infection, polymorphism, COVID-19 severity, SARS-CoV-2 virus, Infectious disease, outcome, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, COVID-19 disease, Polymorphisms, polymerase chain reaction, PCR, COVID-19 pathogenesis, COVID-19 infection, severity of COVID-19, Genotype, Mild, pro-inflammatory cytokines, variations, receptor, distribution, expression, Epigenetic, Critical, moderate, mechanism, Angiotensin-converting enzyme, Evidence, angiotensin, I/D polymorphism, COVID-19 patient, ACE2 gene, Chain Reaction, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, study population, enzyme, SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility, three groups, pro-inflammatory cytokine, reason, human ACE2 receptor, insertion/deletion, ACE gene, Affect, polymerase chain, ACE2 receptor gene, coagulation indicators, caused, suggested, groups, statistically significant, influence, three group, I/D, the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Clinical course, I/D,