Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Refined Murine Model of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Published on: June 17, 2025
Causal and shared genetic insights into severe COVID-19 and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Shan Lin1, Xin Dang1, Xiaofeng Kou1
1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, China.
Abstract:
Although the immediate threat of COVID-19 has lessened, survivors of severe disease still face long-term risks. Utilizing publicly available GWAS summary statistics, we conducted PheWAS enrichment across 2,142 phenotypes to ascertain the traits linked to severe COVID-19. Subsequently, we conducted genome-wide cross-trait analyses to explore genetic correlations, pleiotropic loci, and functional annotations. Mendelian randomization (MR) was employed to deduce causality. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) emerged as a phenotype significantly linked to severe COVID-19 after false discovery rate correction. We identified substantial genetic correlations and 14 shared pleiotropic loci between severe COVID-19 and IPF, encompassing five additional loci that validated nine variants, notably rs34517439. MR and CAUSE analyses substantiated the causal impact of genetic predisposition on IPF in individuals with severe COVID-19. These findings demonstrate a genetic overlap and a causal relationship between IPF and severe COVID-19, enhancing comprehension of the mechanisms and guiding risk stratification and prevention strategies.
Related Concept Videos
Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation, but...
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets