Investigating the Potential Impact of CCR5-Δ32 Variant on COVID-19 Outcome: A Case-Control Study in Iranian Population

Parisa  Mashayekhi; Mir Davood  Omrani; Asma Olhosna  Amini; Mohammad Amin  Omrani; Shahla Ganbari  Milani

doi:10.18502/ijph.v53i8.16292

Parisa Mashayekhi Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Mir Davood Omrani Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Asma Olhosna Amini Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Amin Omrani Urology and Nephrology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shahla Ganbari Milani Department of Genetics, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v53i8.16292

Keywords: Severe COVID-19; Iranian population; Virus

Abstract

Background: The impact of CCR5-Δ32 on COVID-19 outcomes has been the focus of much research. This genetic variant may protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection, while others have produced conflicting results. Given the controversial results of previous research on different populations, we aimed to investigate the possible association between the CCR5-Δ32 variant and COVID-19 severity in an Iranian population.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted between 25^th of April till 10^th of October 2021 at Rasoul Akram Hospital of Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. We investigated the association between CCR5-Δ32 genotype and COVID-19 severity in 200 unrelated Iranian patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 100 patients with severe COVID-19 (case group) and 100 patients with mild COVID-19 (control group). Genotyping of CCR5-Δ32 was performed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique.

Results: The frequency of CCR5-Δ32 allele was 11 in the case group and 16 in the control group. However, no significant association was found between this genetic variant and the clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Conclusion: The CCR5-Δ32 variant cannot serve as a reliable predictive factor for identifying individuals prone to developing severe COVID-19 in Iranian population. Additionally, targeting CCR5 would not be a viable treatment approach for COVID-19 in Iranians.