Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

[en] The genetic makeup of an individual contributes to susceptibility and response to viral infection. While environmental, clinical and social factors play a role in exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 disease severity, host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors indicate biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-COV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. We describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses comprising 49,562 COVID-19 patients from 46 studies across 19 countries worldwide. We reported 15 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. We further identified smoking and body mass index as causal risk factors for severe COVID-19. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19, with unprecedented speed, was enabled by prioritization of shared resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration a blue-print for future genetic discoveries in the event of pandemics or for any complex human disease.

Research center :

d‐BRU - Dental Biomaterials Research Unit - ULiège [BE]

Disciplines :

General & internal medicine
Immunology & infectious disease

Author, co-author :

Niemi, Mari

Gazon, Hélène; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > GIGA

JUSZCZAK, Danusia ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de médecine interne > Service de diabétologie, nutrition, maladies métaboliques

FADEUR, Marjorie ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de médecine interne > Service de diabétologie, nutrition, maladies métaboliques

CAMBY, Séverine ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de chirurgie > Service d'ORL, d'audiophonologie et de chir. cervico-faciale

MEURIS, Christelle ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de médecine interne > Service des maladies infectieuses - médecine interne

THYS, Marie ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de gestion des systèmes d'informations (GSI) > Secteur exploitation des données

JACQUES, Jessica ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de gestion des systèmes d'informations (GSI) > Secteur exploitation des données

HENKET, Monique ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de médecine interne > Clinique de l'asthme

BEGUIN, Yves ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département de médecine interne > Service d'hématologie clinique

More authors (44 more)

Other collaborator :

Georges, Michel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Dpt. de gestion vétérinaire des Ressources Animales (DRA) > Génomique animale

HUYNEN, Pascale ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Unilab > Sérolo. infectieuse et détection immuno. d'agents infectieux

Language :

English

Title :

Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

Publication date :

2021

Journal title :

Nature

ISSN :

0028-0836

eISSN :

1476-4687

Publisher :

Nature Publishing Group, London, United Kingdom

Volume :

600

Pages :

472-477

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.10.21252820v2

Available on ORBi :

since 31 May 2021

Statistics

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518 (144 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

176 (44 by ULiège)

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Scopus citations^®

478

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

367

OpenCitations

328

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