Vol. 9, Issue 6, Part F (2025)
COVID-19 susceptibility and severity: Potential of ACE1 I/D gene polymorphism (rs4646994) and IFITM3 gene (rs12252) polymorphism among Myanmar people
Mo Mo Than, Zaw Min Htut, Aung Paing Paing Soe, Zaw Min Thein, Min Thein, Ye Myat Kyaw, Hein Htike, Aung Kaung Moe, Yan Naing Soe, Khin Aung Tun and Ko Ko Lwin
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 represents one of the most devastating global health crises. Among the various factors contributing to increased risk, host genomic variation is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of susceptibility to infection and the diversity of clinical outcomes. Polymorphisms in the ACE1 gene (rs4646994 I/D) and IFITM3 gene (rs12252 T>C) are of particular interest as predictors of clinical phenotypes, as revealed by association studies exploring the genetic basis of COVID-19 manifestations.
Objective: To investigate the association of ACE1 I/D and IFITM3 T>C gene variants with susceptibility to and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the Myanmar population.
Methods: A case-control study was conducted from 2021 to 2023, involving 150 COVID-19-positive patients and 150 COVID-19-negative controls from Yangon Division. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood using the salting-out method. Gene polymorphisms were identified using the PCR-RFLP technique. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.2, with chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA applied as appropriate.
Results: The observed genotype frequencies conformed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The DD genotype and D allele of the ACE1 gene were significantly more frequent in COVID-19 patients than in controls. Similarly, the mutant CC genotype and C allele of the IFITM3 gene were significantly more prevalent among COVID-19 patients. Both ACE1 (DD genotype and D allele) and IFITM3 (CC genotype and C allele) polymorphisms were significantly associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection.
Conclusions: Carriers of the DD genotype and D allele of the ACE1 gene, as well as the CC genotype and C allele of the IFITM3 gene, are more likely to exhibit increased susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19. These gene polymorphisms may influence both the incidence and clinical outcome of COVID-19 and could serve as predictive markers for disease risk and severity.
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