The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is associated with protection against HIV.

Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2022)

There are genetic risk factors that influence the outcome of COVID-19 [COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, Nature 600, 472-477 (2021)]. The major genetic risk factor for severe COIVD-19 resides on chromosome 3 and is inherited from Neandertals [H. Zeberg, S. Pääbo, Nature 587, 610-612 (2020)]. The risk-associated DNA segment modulates the expression of several chemokine receptors, among them CCR5, a coreceptor for HIV which is down-regulated in carriers of the COVID-19 risk haplotype. Here I show that carriers of the risk variant have an ∼27% lower risk of HIV infection.

Keyphrases

coronavirus disease
sars cov
antiretroviral therapy
risk factors
hiv positive

human immunodeficiency virus
hiv infected
copy number
genome wide
hepatitis c virus

hiv aids
early onset
respiratory syndrome coronavirus
poor prognosis
quality improvement

regulatory t cells
immune response
long non coding rna
breast cancer risk