학술논문

Genome-wide analysis provides genetic evidence that ACE2 influences COVID-19 risk and yields risk scores associated with severe disease
Document Type
Article
Source
Nature Genetics; 20220101, Issue: Preprints p1-11, 11p
Subject
Language
ISSN
10614036; 15461718
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters human host cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, through a genome-wide association study, we identify a variant (rs190509934, minor allele frequency 0.2–2%) that downregulates ACE2expression by 37% (P= 2.7 × 10−8) and reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by 40% (odds ratio = 0.60, P= 4.5 × 10−13), providing human genetic evidence that ACE2 expression levels influence COVID-19 risk. We also replicate the associations of six previously reported risk variants, of which four were further associated with worse outcomes in individuals infected with the virus (in/near LZTFL1, MHC, DPP9and IFNAR2). Lastly, we show that common variants define a risk score that is strongly associated with severe disease among cases and modestly improves the prediction of disease severity relative to demographic and clinical factors alone.