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Common human genetic variants of APOE impact murine COVID-19 mortality
Benjamin N Ostendorf1,2,3,4, Mira A Patel5, Jana Bilanovic5
1Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA. bostendorf@rockefeller.edu.
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene variants influence COVID-19 severity. APOE2 and APOE4 alleles are linked to worse outcomes, increased viral load, and impaired immune response in mice and humans.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Immunology
- Virology
Background:
- COVID-19 outcomes vary widely, from asymptomatic to fatal.
- Genetic factors are suspected to contribute to this heterogeneity, but mechanisms are unclear.
- APOE gene variants are known risk factors for Alzheimer's and atherosclerosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene variants in COVID-19 outcomes.
- To explore the impact of APOE variants on viral infection and immune response.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Compared disease progression, viral loads, and immune responses in mice with different APOE alleles (APOE2, APOE3, APOE4).
- Conducted in vitro assays to assess viral infection rates.
- Analyzed APOE genotype association with survival in a UK Biobank cohort of COVID-19 patients.
Main Results:
- APOE2 and APOE4 variants led to more severe COVID-19 progression and poorer survival in mice compared to APOE3.
- Mice with APOE2/APOE4 showed higher viral loads and suppressed adaptive immunity early in infection.
- In vitro studies confirmed increased SARS-CoV-2 infection with APOE2 and APOE4.
- APOE genotype significantly correlated with survival in human patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Conclusions:
- APOE genotype plays a role in determining COVID-19 severity.
- Differential effects of APOE variants on viral infection and immunity contribute to outcome heterogeneity.
- APOE genotyping may help identify individuals at higher risk for severe COVID-19.
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