Association between HLA and SARSCOV- 2 infection in Mexican Mestizos

ABSTRACT

The Acute Respiratory Syndrome caused by the new coronavirus described in Wuhan, China in 2019 is a viral, respiratory multifactorial infectious disease, which presents different stages depending on genetic and environmental factors that influence severity. As December 19, 2022, 653,192,573 COVID-19 cases worldwide and over six million deaths;330,795 occurred in Mexico, were reported. Our aim was to analyze the contribution of HLA in Mexican patients infected with COVID-19, categorized in different clinical subgroups. A total of 114 COVID-19 patients and 164 healthy controls, all of them Mexican Mestizos from the highlands, were included in the study;RNA columns were used for extraction, and real-time PCR method was performed for the virus identification. DNA was isolated with the Maxwell16 system and 11 HLA loci were typed using NGS (CareDx, Immucor, and One Lambda). The subjects included 22 asymptomatic, 86 symptomatic and 109 who were previously vaccinated. We compared controls versus positive patients;versus symptomatic;vaccinated negative versus vaccinated positive;controls versus asymptomatic;asymptomatic versus symptomatic individuals. The significant high risk alleles were A*2902 (OR = 3.95), B*4501 (OR = 6.92), C*0304 (OR = 2.24). DPB1*0301(OR = 3.17) is a susceptibility marker in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. The latter is prevalent in Hispanics, Russia, Finland, Spain and the United Kingdom. DQA1*0201 (p = 0.009, OR = 1.96;DQB1*0202 (p = 0.009, OR = 2.13) was a susceptibility marker in infected patients who were vaccinated. This is prevalent in Argentina, Brazil, Algeria, Australia, Canada, and China, while high-risk B*4501 and C*0304 are prevalent in India, Israel, Eastern Europe, and Mediterranean countries. Protective alleles where DRB1*0401, A*0201, DQB1*0301 and DPB1*0201. These data are relevant to prioritize vaccination, according to the HLA profile in Mexicans, therefore these data are relevant for the epidemiology of COVID-19.