Title:ACE2 Receptor Polymorphism and its Correlation with Anti-SARS-CoV-2
IgM Antibodies - A Case-Control Study
Volume: 30
Issue: 2
Author(s): Anum Siraj, Saira Yahya*, Amber Khan and Saleem Awan
Affiliation:
- Department of Biosciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), 100-Clifton
Karachi, Pakistan
Keywords:
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, renin-angiotensin system, restriction fragment length polymorphism, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Abstract:
Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019
and spread rapidly worldwide. The virus gets entry into target cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme
2 (ACE2) receptors and its gene is highly polymorphic.
Introduction: The variations in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and severity can be explained on a genetic
level by studying the polymorphism in ACE2 receptor polymorphism.
Objective: A prospective case-control study was designed to compare the ACE2 levels in SARS-CoV-
2 patients with the healthy controls in the local population, for which a total of 100 EDTA-containing
blood samples were included (50 SARS-CoV-2 IgM positive case and 50 healthy controls).
Methods: PCR-RFLP was performed to investigate the polymorphism of ACE2 in genomic DNA and
the ACE2 plasma levels were determined through ELISA.
Results: No significant difference in allelic and genotype frequencies (GG, GA, AA) were observed
while the ACE2 plasma levels were found to be decreased in positive samples.
Conclusion: No significant association of the ACE2 gene polymorphism (G8790A) was found with
the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in the Pakistani population which intimates the search for other genetic
factors within the local population.