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Determining the Likelihood of Variant Pathogenicity Using Amino Acid-level Signal-to-Noise Analysis of Genetic Variation
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Published on: January 16, 2019

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COVID-19 in pediatrics: Genetic susceptibility

Joseph T Glessner1,2, Xiao Chang1, Frank Mentch1

  • 1Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States.

Frontiers in Genetics
|September 2, 2022
PubMed

Insights

This study identified genetic variants associated with COVID-19 susceptibility in children. Key genes like NFIA were implicated, offering insights into the pandemic

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to significant global health and economic challenges.
  • Understanding the genetic factors influencing COVID-19 susceptibility is crucial for public health strategies.
  • Pediatric populations represent a unique cohort for genetic studies due to a potentially less confounded environmental impact.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate genetic associations with COVID-19 infection susceptibility in pediatric populations of African and European ancestry.
  • To identify specific genetic variants that may confer risk or protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.
  • To explore potential replication of previously identified adult genetic associations within a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Case-control meta-analyses were conducted on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pediatric cases and controls.
  • Genetic variant association testing was performed on cohorts of African ancestry (498 cases vs. 1,533 controls) and European ancestry (271 cases vs. 855 controls).
  • Phenotypic criteria and laboratory test results were used for case definition.

Main Results:

  • Several genetic loci, including SEMA6D, FMN1, ACTN1, PDS5B, NFIA, ADGRL3, MMP27, TENM3, SPRY4, MNS1, and RSU1, were associated with COVID-19 susceptibility.
  • Nominal replication of previously reported adult genetic variants (e.g., CCR9, CXCR6, LZTFL1, IFNAR2) was observed in the pediatric cohort.
  • The gene NFIA showed particular interest due to its binding properties to viral and cellular promoter sequences.

Conclusions:

  • Specific genetic variants play a role in determining susceptibility to COVID-19 infection, even in pediatric individuals.
  • The findings highlight the importance of genetic factors across different ancestries and age groups.
  • Further research into genes like NFIA may elucidate mechanisms of viral infection and host response.

Keywords:
COVID-19GWASdiverse populationsgenome-wide association studypediatricsstatistical genetics and genomics

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