Association between IL-17A (rs2275913), IL-4 (rs2070874), NLRP3 (rs10754558) polymorphisms and COVID-19 in a cohort of professionals who worked in the first pandemic wave.

INTRODUCTION

Host genetic polymorphisms in inflammatory mediators may influence COVID-19 clinical outcomes. This study investigated associations between IL-17A (rs2275913), IL-4 (rs2070874), and NLRP3 (rs10754558) polymorphisms and COVID-19 presentation in professionals exposed during the first pandemic wave in the Brazilian Amazon.

METHODS

A total of 189 participants were classified as asymptomatic (AS) or symptomatic (SI), with symptomatic individuals further stratified according to pulmonary involvement assessed by chest computed tomography. Genotyping was performed using PCR and Sanger sequencing. Associations were evaluated through bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and occupational exposure.

RESULTS

In bivariate analyses, the G/G genotype and G allele of rs2275913 (IL-17A) were significantly more frequent among individuals with pulmonary involvement. However, this association did not remain statistically significant after multivariate adjustment. No significant associations were observed for IL-4 or NLRP3 polymorphisms. Age and comorbidities were associated with severity in subgroup analyses, and comorbidities showed a biological trend toward increased symptomatic risk, but these variables were not independently associated in adjusted models.

CONCLUSIONS

The rs2275913 polymorphism in IL-17A may contribute to pulmonary involvement in COVID-19; however, the absence of independent significance in multivariate analysis and sample size limitations indicate that these findings should be considered exploratory. Larger, well-powered studies are required to clarify the role of host genetic variation in COVID-19 severity.