Exploring genetic loci linked to COVID-19 severity and immune response through multi-trait GWAS analyses.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

COVID-19 severity has been linked to immune factors, with excessive immune responses like cytokine storms contributing to mortality. However, the genetic basis of these immune responses is not well understood. This study aimed to explore the genetic connection between COVID-19 severity and blood cell traits, given their close relationship with immunity.

Materials and methods

GWAS summary statistics for COVID-19 and blood cell counts were analyzed using Linkage Disequilibrium Score Regression (LDSC) to estimate genetic correlations and heritabilities. For traits with significant correlations, a Multi-Trait GWAS Analysis (MTAG) was performed to identify pleiotropic loci shared between COVID-19 and blood cell counts.

Results

Our MTAG analysis identified four

SUBMITTER: Meng Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11873281 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature