Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, who are part of a research team, found that the severity of COVID-19 symptoms is determined by the activity of a group of genes called human leukocyte antigens (HLA). Research results published In the journal Nature.
HLA genes encode proteins that the immune system uses to identify healthy cells and distinguish them from cells infected by bacteria or viruses. These proteins are critical for the body’s immune response. Analyzing the role of HLA in fighting various infections, researchers wondered whether there were specific variants of these genes associated with an enhanced immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
1,428 people with Covid-19 participated in the research. All subjects underwent DNA sequencing; this is a large-scale reading of the genetic code to detect mutations in it. It turns out that carriers of a specific HLA variant, HLA-B*15:01, often suffer from COVID-19 easily or asymptomatically. Researchers noted that this mutation occurs in approximately 10% of the population.
Scientists have suggested that the immune system of people with LA-B*15:01 can quickly suppress viruses. In addition, the body of such people has a better immunological memory – the ability of the immune system to quickly and consciously recognize an antigen that the body has previously encountered. The study authors hope that examining genetic mechanisms of protection against SARS-CoV-2 will lead to the creation of more effective vaccines and the development of new treatment regimens.
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