Immunogenetic Predisposition to SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Claudia Lehmann,
Henry Loeffler-Wirth,
Vera Balz,
Juergen Enczmann,
Ramona Landgraf,
Nicole Lakowa,
Thomas Gruenewald,
Johannes C. Fischer,
Ilias Doxiadis
Affiliations
Claudia Lehmann
Laboratory for Transplantation Immunology, University Hospital Leipzig, Johannisallee 32, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Henry Loeffler-Wirth
Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics, IZBI, Leipzig University, Haertelstr. 16–18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
Vera Balz
HLA Laboratory, Institute for Transplantation Diagnostics and Cell Therapeutics, ITZ, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Juergen Enczmann
HLA Laboratory, Institute for Transplantation Diagnostics and Cell Therapeutics, ITZ, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Ramona Landgraf
Laboratory for Transplantation Immunology, University Hospital Leipzig, Johannisallee 32, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Nicole Lakowa
Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Chemnitz, Flemmingstraße 2, 09116 Chemnitz, Germany
Thomas Gruenewald
Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Chemnitz, Flemmingstraße 2, 09116 Chemnitz, Germany
Johannes C. Fischer
HLA Laboratory, Institute for Transplantation Diagnostics and Cell Therapeutics, ITZ, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Ilias Doxiadis
Laboratory for Transplantation Immunology, University Hospital Leipzig, Johannisallee 32, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Herein, we included 527 individuals from two Hospitals, Chemnitz and University-Hospital Leipzig. In total, 199 were negative for PCR and 328 were positive upon first admission. We used next generation sequencing for HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, DRB345, DQA1, DQB1, DPA1, and DPB1, and in some cases, HLA-E, F, G, and H. Furthermore, we molecularly defined 22 blood group systems comprising 26 genes and 5 platelet antigen genes. We observed a significant enrichment of homozygosity for DQA/DQB in the positive group. Within the negative subjects, HLA-B*57:01, HLA-B*55:01, DRB1*13:01, and DRB1*01:01 were enriched, and in the positive group, homozygosity for DQA/DQB, DRB1*09:01, and DRB1*15:01 was observed. DQA1*01:01, DQA1*02:01, and DQA1*01:03 were enriched in the negative group. HLA-DQB1*06:02 was enriched in the positive group, and HLA-DQB1*05:01 and HLA-DQB1*06:03 were enriched in the negative group. For the blood group systems MNS, RH, LE, FY, JK, YT, DO, and KN, enrichment was seen in both groups, depending on the antigen under observation. Homozygosity for D-positive RHD alleles, as well as the phenotypes M-N+ of the MNS blood group system and Yk(a-) of the KN system, were enriched in the positive group. All of these significances disappeared upon correction. Subjects who carried homozygous HPA-1a were more frequent in the negative group, contrasting with the finding that HPA-1ab was enriched in the positive group.
