Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent COVID-19 has spread world-wide and become pandemic with about 7 million deaths reported so far. Interethnic variability of the disease has been described, but a significant part of the differences remain...

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Main Authors: Jaroslav A. Hubáček, Lenka Šedová, Věra Hellerová, Věra Adámková, Valérie Tóthová
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Annals of Human Biology
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/03014460.2024.2341727
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author Jaroslav A. Hubáček
Lenka Šedová
Věra Hellerová
Věra Adámková
Valérie Tóthová
author_facet Jaroslav A. Hubáček
Lenka Šedová
Věra Hellerová
Věra Adámková
Valérie Tóthová
author_sort Jaroslav A. Hubáček
collection DOAJ
description Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent COVID-19 has spread world-wide and become pandemic with about 7 million deaths reported so far. Interethnic variability of the disease has been described, but a significant part of the differences remain unexplained and may be attributable to genetic factors.Aim To analyse genetic factors potentially influencing COVID-19 susceptibility and severity in European Roma minority.Subjects and methods Two genetic determinants, within OAS-1 (2-prime,5-prime-oligoadenylate synthetase 1, a key protein in the defence against viral infection; it activates RNases that degrade viral RNAs; rs4767027 has been analysed) and LZTFL1 (leucine zipper transcription factor-like 1, expressed in the lung respiratory epithelium; rs35044562 has been analysed) genes were screened in a population-sample of Czech Roma (N = 302) and majority population (N = 2,559).Results For both polymorphisms, Roma subjects were more likely carriers of at least one risky allele for both rs4767027-C (p < 0.001) and rs35044562-G (p < 0.00001) polymorphism. There were only 5.3% Roma subjects without at least one risky allele in comparison with 10.1% in the majority population (p < 0.01).Conclusions It is possible that different genetic background plays an important role in increased prevalence of COVID-19 in the Roma minority.
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spelling doaj-art-ad0ed4d63780413886bea60fcb868ca52025-08-20T02:35:29ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnnals of Human Biology0301-44601464-50332024-12-0151110.1080/03014460.2024.2341727Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma populationJaroslav A. Hubáček0Lenka Šedová1Věra Hellerová2Věra Adámková3Valérie Tóthová4Experimental Medicine Centre, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech RepublicFaculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Preventive Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech RepublicFaculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech RepublicBackground Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent COVID-19 has spread world-wide and become pandemic with about 7 million deaths reported so far. Interethnic variability of the disease has been described, but a significant part of the differences remain unexplained and may be attributable to genetic factors.Aim To analyse genetic factors potentially influencing COVID-19 susceptibility and severity in European Roma minority.Subjects and methods Two genetic determinants, within OAS-1 (2-prime,5-prime-oligoadenylate synthetase 1, a key protein in the defence against viral infection; it activates RNases that degrade viral RNAs; rs4767027 has been analysed) and LZTFL1 (leucine zipper transcription factor-like 1, expressed in the lung respiratory epithelium; rs35044562 has been analysed) genes were screened in a population-sample of Czech Roma (N = 302) and majority population (N = 2,559).Results For both polymorphisms, Roma subjects were more likely carriers of at least one risky allele for both rs4767027-C (p < 0.001) and rs35044562-G (p < 0.00001) polymorphism. There were only 5.3% Roma subjects without at least one risky allele in comparison with 10.1% in the majority population (p < 0.01).Conclusions It is possible that different genetic background plays an important role in increased prevalence of COVID-19 in the Roma minority.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/03014460.2024.2341727COVID-19Romapolymorphismethnicity
spellingShingle Jaroslav A. Hubáček
Lenka Šedová
Věra Hellerová
Věra Adámková
Valérie Tóthová
Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population
Annals of Human Biology
COVID-19
Roma
polymorphism
ethnicity
title Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population
title_full Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population
title_fullStr Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population
title_full_unstemmed Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population
title_short Increased prevalence of the COVID-19 associated Neanderthal mutations in the Central European Roma population
title_sort increased prevalence of the covid 19 associated neanderthal mutations in the central european roma population
topic COVID-19
Roma
polymorphism
ethnicity
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/03014460.2024.2341727
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