EFFECT OF GENETICS POLYMORPHISMS ON REINFECTION WITH COVID-19 AND PROGRESSION SEVERITY

Abstract

Relevance: In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the spread of a new coronavirus
infection, COVID-19. The clinical picture of COVID-19 is wide, ranging from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory
distress syndrome, most often ending in death. Some viral infections are known to be followed by lifelong immunity, while
others can lead to repeated infections throughout life. There is an urgent need to better understand whether those who have
had COVID-19 are protected from reinfection or not.
The aim. In the present study, we examined the association of IL2, IL6, and IL10 gene polymorphisms with COVID-19
reinfection and its severity in two cases of the disease.
Materials and methods: A total of 301 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 took part in a retrospective
study, of which 76 patients had a second illness. Genetic research was carried out by real-time PCR.
Results: Of the 22 initially severe patients, 7 had re-developed COVID-19 in a severe form and 15 in a mild form. Of the
54 patients who first became ill with COVID-19 in a mild form, 16 re-developed a severe form of the disease and 38 redeveloped a mild form. Results of the multifactorial inheritance model of IL2 rs1801274, IL6 rs2069840, IL10 rs1800872
gene polymorphisms showed no statistically significant association with recurrent COVID-19 disease episode (p>0.2).
Conclusion. Polymorphisms of cytokine genes IL2, IL6, IL10 are not associated with the severity of COVID-19
reinfection. Our results once again confirm the lack of long-term immunity after COVID-19 infection and the risk of
reinfection, regardless of the severity of the first episode.