Shared genetic effects between the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus and the clinical consequences of COVID-19 PLOSGenetics KingsCollegeLon GSTTnhs wakeforestmed genetics autoimmunedisease COVID19
By Neha MathurNov 7 2022Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc. In a recent study published in PLOS Genetics, researchers identified a genetic association signal, via genome-wide association studies, between severe coronavirus disease 2019 with systemic lupus erythematosus , an autoimmune disease . They tested this association formally using genetic correlation analysis via linkage disequilibrium score regression.
Furthermore, the researchers evaluated the genetic correlation between SLE and severe COVID-19 using conventional cross-trait LD score regression to calculate genome-wide genetic correlation . They retained all the overlapping single nucleotide polymorphisms between the SLE meta-analysis and the COVID-19 GenOMICC data. The team added SLE Immunochip data from a previous study to increase the local genetic correlation detection power.
Study findings The researchers identified multiple shared loci between SLE and COVID-19, some of which even exerted opposing effects. Though it had a negative local genetic correlation, the locus with the most evidence of shared association was tyrosine-protein kinase , a gene critical to the type I interferon pathway.
Another shared locus identified between SLE and COVID-19 was C-Type Lectin Domain Family 1 Member A , where the direction of effects aligned. It encodes a lectin involved in cell signaling and anti-fungal immunity. CLEC1A is a negative regulator of dendritic cells. Additionally, its genetic variation increases the risk factor for aspergillosis in immunosuppression. Thus, overall, the reduced expression of CLEC1A exerts a pro-inflammatory effect.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Covid infections falling in England and Wales, says ONSCovid infections have fallen in England and Wales, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Read more »
New Leeds hospital data shows rising Covid patients figure but key statistic fallsNearly 150 people were being treated in hospital for Covid in Leeds last week, according to new NHS figures.
Read more »
What went wrong with the UK economy, from Brexit and Covid to Russia's war in UkraineBritain’s economy is on shaky ground, with the Bank of England indicating that stability is a long way off 🔎 But what exactly went wrong? SerinaSandhu1 explains
Read more »
Biggest-ever NHS nurses strike 'would hit A&E patients' and worsen Covid backlogAround 300,000 nurses are thought to have voted in favour of industrial action in the first of a potential cascade of strikes
Read more »
Long Covid patients still battling virus as third anniversary of infection nearsSome of the UK’s earliest long Covid patients are still battling the condition nearly three years after first getting infected.
Read more »