Assessing the genetic relationship between gastro-esophageal reflux disease and risk of COVID-19 infection.
Hum Mol Genet
; 31(3): 471-480, 2022 02 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1434399
ABSTRACT
Symptoms related with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) were previously shown to be linked with increased risk for the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We aim to interrogate the possibility of a shared genetic basis between GERD and COVID-19 outcomes. Using published GWAS data for GERD (78 707 cases; 288 734 controls) and COVID-19 susceptibility (up to 32 494 cases; 1.5 million controls), we examined the genetic relationship between GERD and three COVID-19 outcomes:
risk of developing severe COVID-19, COVID-19 hospitalization and overall COVID-19 risk. We estimated the genetic correlation between GERD and COVID-19 outcomes followed by Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess genetic causality. Conditional analyses were conducted to examine whether known COVID-19 risk factors (obesity, smoking, type-II diabetes, coronary artery disease) can explain the relationship between GERD and COVID-19. We found small to moderate genetic correlations between GERD and COVID-19 outcomes (rg between 0.06 and 0.24). MR analyses revealed a OR of 1.15 (95% CI 0.96-1.39) for severe COVID-19; 1.16 (1.01-1.34) for risk of COVID-19 hospitalization; 1.05 (0.97-1.13) for overall risk of COVID-19 per doubling of odds in developing GERD. The genetic correlation/associations between GERD and COVID-19 showed mild attenuation towards the null when obesity and smoking was adjusted for. Susceptibility for GERD and risk of COVID-19 hospitalization were genetically correlated, with MR findings supporting a potential causal role between the two. The genetic association between GERD and COVID-19 was partially attenuated when obesity is accounted for, consistent with obesity being a major risk factor for both diseases.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Gastroesophageal Reflux
/
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
/
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Hum Mol Genet
Journal subject:
Molecular Biology
/
Genetics, Medical
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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