Associations between IL-17A G/A-rs2275913 and IL 23R A/G-rs11209026 gene polymorphisms and severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The Egyptian Journal of Immunology
Volume 30 (2), April, 2023
Pages: 119 – 130.
www.Ejimmunology.org
https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.300211
Asmaa M. Goda1, Mona M. Abdelrahman2, Mona Fattouh1, Shimaa B. Hemdan3, Asmaa A. Abdel Baset4, Mustafa A. Younis5, Enas K. A. Abuzied6, Mahmoud G. Mahmoud4 and Noha S. Shafik1
1Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

2Department of Tropical Medicine & Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

3Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

4 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

5Department of Clinical & Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

6Department of Chest Diseases & Tuberculosis, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

Corresponding author: Eman R. Badawy, Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Email: e.badawy@aun.edu.eg..

 

Abstract

Severe COVID-19 disease was linked to a severe proinflammatory response and cytokine storm interleukin 17 (IL-17) is one of these cytokines, was associated with severe acute lung injury and multiorgan dysfunction. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes coding IL-17 can affect level of IL-17 hence its role in diseases. Also, SNPs in IL-23 R which control IL-23 is the main activator of IL-17 production. This study aimed to determine whether the IL-17A (G/A-rs2275913), IL-23R (A/G rs11209026) SNPs and serum levels of IL-17 were related to the risk of severe COVID-19. This case-control study included 120 confirmed COVID-19 patients, divided into two categories according to the severity of the disease and 74 normal subjects as controls. COVID-19 patients were SARS-CoV-2 positive by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and subjected to full clinical examinations, routine laboratory tests, and radiographic evaluations. The IL-17 levels were assessed using ELISA method, and genotyping of IL-17A (197 A/G; rs2275913) and IL-23R rs11209026 (A/G) was performed by the TaqMan Genotyping Assay. There were no differences in the distribution of IL-17A or IL-23R genotypes between COVID-19 groups and the control group (p=0.93 and p=0.84, respectively). Severe COVID-19 patients had significantly higher IL-17 serum levels than non-severe COVID-19 (p=0.0001). The GG genotypes of IL-17A were significantly higher in severe COVID-19 patients (p=0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that AG, GG genotypes of IL-17 and IL-17A were independent predictors of COVID-19 disease severity (p<0.0001, p=0.06 and p=0.04, respectively). ROC curve analysis for IL-17, as predictor of severe COVID-19 disease revealed a sensitivity of 87.9% and specificity of 66.1% at a cutoff point of 114 pg/ml with AUC = 0.799. In conclusion, these findings indicated that IL-17 may be considered a marker of severe COVID-19. IL-17A SNPs may have a role in COVID-19 severity. IL-23R SNPs had no role in COVID-19.

Keywords:
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, single-nucleotide polymorphism, IL-17A G/A-rs 2275913, IL-23R.

Date received:
22 December 2022; accepted: 01 February 2023.

PMID:
37031414

 

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