Differential impact of the angiotensin‑converting enzyme‑2 (ACE2 rs4343 G>A) and miR‑196a2 rs11614913 C>T gene alterations in COVID‑19 disease severity and mortality

The recent coronavirus outbreak from Wuhan China in late 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‑2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) resulted in a global pandemic of coronavirus‑19 disease (COVID‑19). Understating the underlying mechanism of the pathogenesis of coronavirus infection is important not only because it will help in accurate diagnosis and treatment of the infection but also in the production of effective vaccines. The infection begins when SARS‑CoV‑2 enters the cells through binding of its envelope glycoprotein to angiotensin‑converting enzyme2 (ACE2). Gene variations of ACE2 and microRNA (miR)‑196 are associated with viral infection and other diseases. The present study investigated the association of the ACE2 rs4343