Genetics of symptom remission in outpatients with COVID-19

Sci Rep. 2021 May 25;11(1):10847. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90365-6.

Abstract

We conducted a genome-wide association study of time to remission of COVID-19 symptoms in 1723 outpatients with at least one risk factor for disease severity from the COLCORONA clinical trial. We found a significant association at 5p13.3 (rs1173773; P = 4.94 × 10-8) near the natriuretic peptide receptor 3 gene (NPR3). By day 15 of the study, 44%, 54% and 59% of participants with 0, 1, or 2 copies of the effect allele respectively, had symptom remission. In 851 participants not treated with colchicine (placebo), there was a significant association at 9q33.1 (rs62575331; P = 2.95 × 10-8) in interaction with colchicine (P = 1.19 × 10-5) without impact on risk of hospitalisations, highlighting a possibly shared mechanistic pathway. By day 15 of the study, 46%, 62% and 64% of those with 0, 1, or 2 copies of the effect allele respectively, had symptom remission. The findings need to be replicated and could contribute to the biological understanding of COVID-19 symptom remission.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19 / genetics
  • COVID-19 / pathology
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment*
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 / genetics
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / genetics
  • Colchicine / therapeutic use*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genome-Wide Association Study*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outpatients
  • Placebo Effect
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Remission Induction
  • Risk Factors
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • Colchicine