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 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 (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 (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 ( = 302) and majority population ( = 2,559).

RESULTS

For both polymorphisms, Roma subjects were more likely carriers of at least one risky allele for both rs4767027-C ( < 0.001) and rs35044562-G ( < 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 ( < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible that different genetic background plays an important role in increased prevalence of COVID-19 in the Roma minority.