The Influence of HLA Genotype on the Severity of COVID-19 Infection.

Abstract

HLAplaysapivotalroleintheimmuneresponsetopathogenssoHLAvariationmaybeassociatedwithSARS‐COV‐2infection.WeaimedtoassesstheassociationbetweenHLAallele frequencydistributioninagroupof72patientsaffectedbymildandmoderate/severeformofCOVID‐19.HLA‐A,‐B,‐DRB1typingin72COVID‐19patients(males/females:41/31) and 300 healthy controls by using Sequence‐Specific Oligonucleotide (SSO)method were performed. Patients were divided into two groups:Moderate/SeverityGroup (n=48, males/females:29/19)includedpatientswhowererequiredhospitalcareandmildgroup(n=24,males/females:12/12)patientswhodidnothaveanysymptomsorpresentedwith milddisease.Themostcommonantigensinpatientswithmildsymptoms(MS)andhealthycontrols(HC)wereHLA‐A*02(MS:35.4%‐HC:25,3%),‐B*35(MS:14.6%‐HC:17,2%), ‐DRB1*04(MS:14.6%‐HC:17,2)whileinthepatientswithmoderate/severesymptomswereHLA‐A*02(30.2%),‐B*35(18,8%)andDRB1*07(20.8%).Comparedtohealthysubjects, therewasadecreaseinHLA‐DRB1*04(p=0,028)allele,howeverincreaseinHLA‐B*50(p=0,004)andDRB1*07(p=0,012)allelesinCOVID‐19patients.Also,higherrateofthealleles HLA‐A*33(p=0,042),HLA‐B*44(p=0,003),HLA‐B*57(p=0,035)inmildgroupthaninmoderate/severegroupwhilehigherrateofthealleleHLA‐B*50(p=0,009)inmoderate/severe groupwascomparedtomildgroup.OurfindingssuggestthatHLA‐DRB1*07andHLA‐B*50maybeassociatedwithCOVID‐19diseasesusceptibility,HLA‐B*50withsevereinfection, andalsoHLA‐A*33,‐B*44,‐B*57,‐DRB1*04maybeprotectiveagainsttheCOVID‐19diseaseaswell.