ABSTRACT
In the present study, we investigated the distribution of genetic variations in IL6 and IL6R genes, which may be employed as prognostic and pharmacogenetic biomarkers for COVID-19 and neurodegenerative diseases. The study was performed on 271 samples representative of the Italian general population and identi ed seven variants (rs140764737, rs142164099, rs2069849, rs142759801, rs190436077, rs148171375, rs13306435) in IL6 and ve variants (rs2228144, rs2229237, rs2228145, rs28730735, rs143810642) within IL6R, respectively. These variants have been predicted to affect the expression and binding ability of IL6 and IL6R. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) showed that IL6 and IL6R appeared to be implicated in several pathogenetic mechanisms associated with COVID19 severity and mortality as well as with neurodegenerative diseases mediated by neuroin ammation. Thus, the availability of IL6-IL6R-related biomarkers for COVID19 disease may be helpful to counteract harmful complications and prevent multi-organ failure. At the same time, IL6-IL6R-related biomarkers could also be useful for assessing the susceptibility and progression of neuroin ammatory disorders and undertake the most suitable treatment strategies to improve patients’ prognosis and quality of life. In conclusion, this study showed how IL6 pleiotropic activity could be exploited to meet different clinical needs and realize precision medicine protocols for chronic, age-related and modern public health emergencies. © 2020, MDPI. All rights reserved.