Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Glob Health Epidemiol Genom. 2022 Oct 6;2022:7405349. doi: 10.1155/2022/7405349. eCollection 2022.
Host genetic factors are known to modify the susceptibility, severity, and outcomes of COVID-19 and vary across populations. However, continental Africans are yet to be adequately represented in such studies despite the importance of genetic factors in understanding Africa's response to the pandemic. We describe the development of a research resource for coronavirus host genomics studies in South Africa known as COVIGen-SA-a multicollaborator strategic partnership designed to provide harmonised demographic, clinical, and genetic information specific to Black South Africans with COVID-19. Over 2,000 participants have been recruited to date. Preliminary results on 1,354 SARS-CoV-2 positive participants from four participating studies showed that 64.7% were female, 333 had severe disease, and 329 were people living with HIV. Through this resource, we aim to provide insights into host genetic factors relevant to African-ancestry populations, using both genome-wide association testing and targeted sequencing of important genomic loci. This project will promote and enhance partnerships, build skills, and develop resources needed to address the COVID-19 burden and associated risk factors in South African communities.
宿主遗传因素已知会影响 COVID-19 的易感性、严重程度和结果，并在不同人群中存在差异。然而，尽管遗传因素对于理解非洲对大流行的反应很重要，但非洲大陆的非洲人在这些研究中的代表性仍然不足。我们描述了南非冠状病毒宿主基因组学研究的一个研究资源的开发，称为 COVIGen-SA-这是一个多合作战略伙伴关系，旨在提供针对 COVID-19 的南非黑人的协调一致的人口、临床和遗传信息。迄今为止，已经招募了 2000 多名参与者。来自四个参与研究的 1354 名 SARS-CoV-2 阳性参与者的初步结果表明，64.7%为女性，333 人患有严重疾病，329 人为艾滋病毒感染者。通过该资源，我们旨在使用全基因组关联测试和重要基因组位点的靶向测序，提供与非洲裔人群相关的宿主遗传因素的见解。该项目将促进和加强伙伴关系，培养技能，并开发解决南非社区 COVID-19 负担和相关风险因素所需的资源。
