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ABO blood group association and COVID-19. COVID-19 susceptibility and severity: A review.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been affecting the health and economic, as well as social, life of the entire globe since the end of 2019. The virus causes COVID-19, with a wide range of symptoms among the infected individuals, from asymptomatic infection to mortality. This, along with a high infection rate, prompted efforts to investigate the potential mechanisms of the different clinical manifestations caused by SARS-CoV-2 among the infected populations.

Hypothesis

: One of the possible mechanisms that has been reported is the ABO blood system polymorphism. Indeed, one of the major proposed mechanisms is the presence of naturally occurring anti-A antibodies in individuals of groups O and B, which could be partially protective against SARS-CoV-2 virions.

Objective and method

: This article aimed to review the published data on the potential effect of the ABO blood group system on the susceptibility to COVID-19 and the disease progression and outcomes.

Results

: The reviewed data suggest that individuals of blood group A are at a higher risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and may develop severe COVID-19 outcomes, whereas blood group O is considered protective against the infection, to some extent. However, some of the available studies seem to have been influenced by unaccounted confounders and biases.

Conclusion

: Therefore, further appropriately controlled studies are warranted to fully investigate the possible association between the ABO blood groups and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.

SUBMITTER: Shibeeb S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8437766 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus has become a worldwide pandemic, and the number of patients presenting with respiratory failure is rapidly increasing in Japan. An international meta-analysis has been conducted to identify genetic factors associated with the onset and severity of COVID-19, but these factors have yet to be fully clarified. Here, we carried out genomic analysis based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Japanese COVID-19 patients to determine whether genetic factors reported to be associated with the onset or severity of COVID-19 in the international meta-GWAS are replicated in the Japanese population, and whether new genetic factors exist. Although no significant genome-wide association was detected in the Japanese GWAS, an integrated analysis with the international meta-GWAS identified for the first time the involvement of the IL17A/IL17F gene in the severity of COVID-19. Among nine genes reported in the international meta-GWAS as genes involved in the onset of COVID-19, the association of FOXP4-AS1, ABO, and IFNAR2 genes was replicated in the Japanese population. Moreover, combined analysis of ABO and FUT2 genotypes revealed that the presence of oral AB antigens was significantly associated with the onset of COVID-19. FOXP4-AS1 and IFNAR2 were also significantly associated in the integrated analysis of the Japanese GWAS and international meta-GWAS when compared with severe COVID-19 cases and the general population. This made it clear that these two genes were also involved in not only the onset but also the severity of COVID-19. In particular, FOXP4-AS1 was not found to be associated with the severity of COVID-19 in the international meta-GWAS, but an integrated analysis with the Japanese GWAS revealed an association with severity. Individuals with the SNP risk allele found between IL17A and IL17F had significantly lower mRNA expression levels of IL17F, suggesting that activation of the innate immune response by IL17F may play an important role in the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.