Association between IFN‐γ +874T/A SNP and COVID-19 Severity

Seyyed Amin  Seyyed rezaei; Vahid  Asgharzadeh; Behroz Mahdavi Poor; Mohammad  Asgharzadeh; Asra  Poorghani; Mahdi Asghari  ozma; Ahmad Ali  Khalili; Hossein Jalaei  Nobari; Mortaza  Raeisi; Jalil  Rashedi

doi:10.18502/ijaai.v24i2.18151

Seyyed Amin Seyyed rezaei Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Vahid Asgharzadeh Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Behroz Mahdavi Poor Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Faculty of Paramedicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mohammad Asgharzadeh Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Paramedicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Asra Poorghani Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Paramedicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mahdi Asghari ozma Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz university of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Ahmad Ali Khalili Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Hossein Jalaei Nobari Department of Islamic Education, Faculty of Paramedicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mortaza Raeisi Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Jalil Rashedi Department of Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijaai.v24i2.18151

Keywords: COVID-19; IFN‐γ; Polymorphism; SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) varies significantly among individuals, which indicates the impact of individual differences on disease. Emerging evidence suggests that genetic factors play a crucial role in determining the severity of the disease. For instance, variants in the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) gene, such as the +874 T/A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), have been linked to altered immune responses and may influence the severity of COVID-19. We aim to determine the influence of the IFN‐γ +874T/A SNP on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients.

We investigated the SNP at position +874 in the promoter region of the IFN-γ gene in 416 individuals (206 critically ill COVID-19 patients and 210 healthy controls) in northwestern of Iran. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood leukocytes of the patients, and the SNP was analyzed using the amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) method.

The AA genotype was significantly more frequent in critically ill COVID-19 patients than in healthy controls. Conversely, the AT and TT genotypes were more common in healthy controls. Furthermore, the A allele was more frequent in critically ill patients than in healthy controls, while the T allele was more frequent in healthy controls compared to critically ill patients.

Our study identified the IFN-γ +874T/A SNP as a significant genetic factor influencing COVID-19 severity. This finding underscores the critical role of genetic factors in disease severity and highlights the importance of personalized medicine in managing COVID-19.