The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology (Nov 2023)

Incidence of thrombophilic gene polymorphism (MTHFR C677T) in Egyptian COVID-19 patients and its clinical implications

  • Eman Badawy Abdelfattah,
  • Sahar Samir Abdelmaksoud,
  • Heba Mohamed Shalaby,
  • Saad Shehata Abo-zid,
  • Mahmoud M. Aboulmagd M. Youssef,
  • Ahmed Ali Elshebiny,
  • Hieba Gamal Ezzelregal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43168-023-00246-x
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Background COVID-19 has an important component of organ damage which is COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. It is necessary to assess the risk in patients to develop a thrombophylaxis plan. The higher prevalence of key thrombophilic genetic variants, such as mutation of the C677T-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene in Eastern Mediterranean countries, makes it challenging to use the same criteria in other world countries with differing thrombophilic panels. Objective To find the incidence of MTHFR gene polymorphism in a cohort of Egyptian patients with COVID-19, and its association with thromboembolic events. Subjects and methods This was a prospective observational cohort study, done at Ain-Shams University isolation Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt. It included 33 patients with COVID-19 and 13 healthy controls. The patients underwent lab investigations: HRCT chest in which the extent of radiological affection was described in terms of severe form (> 50% of lungs are affected) and non-severe form ( 55 years (60% sensitivity, 100% specificity, PPV 100%), albumin ≤ 3.2 gm/dl (50% sensitivity, 95.65% specificity, PPV83.3%), and ferritin > 453 ng/L (70% sensitivity, 82.61% specificity, PPV 63.6%) were predictors of mutation of MTHFR-gene. Conclusion Incidence of mutation of MTHFR-gene was 30.3% in COVID-19 patients. Results suggest a potential association between inherited MTHFR gene mutation and severe form of COVID-19, thromboembolic events, and mortality. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05679414. https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S000CU2V&selectaction=Edit&uid=U00056R5&ts=2&cx=lrrb7q . Retrospectively registered. 9th Jan 2023.

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