Case report: hepatitis in a child infected with SARS-CoV-2 presenting toll-like receptor 7 Gln11Leu single nucleotide polymorphism

BACKGROUND: Covid-19 has the respiratory tract as the main target of infection, and patients present mainly dyspnea, pneumonia, dry cough, and fever. Nevertheless, organs outside the respiratory tract had been reported in recent studies, including the gastrointestinal tract and liver. The host innate immune system recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) through their pattern recognition receptor (PRRs). Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7) is a pattern recognition receptor recognizing ssRNA (SARS-CoV-2 is an ssRNA). Polymorphisms are characterized by two or more alternative forms of a distinct phenotype in the same population. Polymorphisms in tlrs genes can negatively influence the immune response to infectious diseases. There are several references in the literature to non-synonymous single nucleotide (rs) polymorphisms related to several genes. Some of them are important for the innate immunity, as rs 179008 (tlr-7), rs3775291 (tlr3), rs8177374 (tir domain-containing adaptor protein, tirap), rs1024611 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, mcp-1) and rs61942233 (2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthase-3, oas-3). CASE PRESENTATION: We identified a 5-year-old-male child with gastrointestinal symptoms and fever presenting acholic stool and jaundice, who was positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM, IgA, and IgG and presenting the Gln11Leu rs 179008 in tlr-7. The child presented high levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and was negative for serological tests for hepatitis A, B, C, E, HIV 1 and 2, herpes virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, and negative for RTqPCR for Influenza A and B, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. We also investigated other SNPs in the tlr-3 (rs3775291), tirap (rs8177374), mcp-1 (rs1024611), and oas-3 (rs61942233) genes, and no mutation was detected. After an interview with the child's caregivers, any possible accidental ingestion of drugs or hepatotoxic substances was ruled out. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of a SARS-CoV-2 caused hepatitis in a male child that has the tlr-7 Gln11Leu rs 179008, which could impair an efficient initial immune response. The knowledge of the patient's immune deficiency could improve the treatment to correct this deficiency with specific medications.