Why Does COVID-19 Affect Different People Differently?

The reason why different people are affected by COVID-19 differently could lie in their genetic makeup.

Some people do better after COVID-19, and some people don’t. Why does COVID-19 affect different people differently?

A team of NYU Abu Dhabi researchers, led by Associate Professor of Biology Youssef Idaghdour and working in collaboration with clinicians from several Abu Dhabi hospitals, set out to find the answers.

Here's Why Some People are More Resilient to Covid-19
Covid-19 infection has affected many people severely. However, some escaped with milder symptoms because they have already exposed to common-cold-causing coronavirus strains.

‘Have you ever wondered why some people recover quickly from COVID-19 and others don’t? Researchers may have found the answer. #COVID19’

Researchers investigated the relationship between microRNAs, a class of small RNA molecules that regulate genes, and COVID-19 severity in 259 unvaccinated COVID-19 patients living in Abu Dhabi ().

MicroRNA Changes Could Explain How COVID-19 Affects Different People

The researchers discovered microRNAs that are linked to a reduced immune response and ICU hospitalization.

During this process, they created the first genomic picture of the architecture of blood microRNAs in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia regions whose populations are consistently underrepresented in genomics research.

The researchers identified changes in microRNAs at the early stages of infection that are associated with specific blood traits and immune cell death, allowing the virus to evade the immune system and proliferate.

Your Genetic Makeup Makes Up Your Immunity

The results of the system's genetics study demonstrate that a patient’s genetic makeup affects immune function and disease severity, offering new insights into how patient prognosis and treatment can be improved.

Can COVID-19 ‘Fuse’ Your Brain Cells?
The cause of long COVID's neurological effects may be the fusing of brain cells.

Given the diversity of the sample, there is a promise that these findings can be applied to approximately thirty percent of the world’s population who reside in the MENA region and South Asia.

In the study titled Systems genetics identifies miRNA‑mediated regulation of host response in COVID‑19 published in the journal Human Genomics¸ the research team presents the results of the analysis of multiple omics datasets—genotypes, miRNA, and mRNA expression of patients at the time of hospital admission, combined with phenotypes from electronic health records.

Could COVID-19 Cause Face Blindness?
COVID-19 could be causing face blindness and people are not able to recognize their own families.

The researchers analyzed 62 clinical variables and expression levels of 632 miRNAs measured at hospital admission, as well as identified 97 miRNAs associated with eight blood phenotypes significantly associated with ICU admission.

“These findings improve our understanding of why some patients withstand COVID-19 better than others,” said Idaghdour. “This study demonstrates that microRNAs are promising biomarkers for disease severity, more broadly, and targets for therapeutic interventions. The methods of this study can be applied to other populations to further our understanding of how gene regulation can serve as a core mechanism that impacts COVID-19 and, potentially, the severity of other infections.”

High Blood Pressure Increases Risk of COVID-19
Risk of COVID-19 decreases with control of hypertension

Reference:

Systems genetics identifies miRNA-mediated regulation of host response in COVID-19 - (https://humgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40246-023-00494-4)

Source-Eurekalert