Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 SNPs as Common Genetic Loci and Optimal Early Identification Genetic Markers for COVID-19

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is implicated as a host cell receptor that causes infection in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and its genetic polymorphisms in the ACE2 gene may promote cardiovascular disease and systemic inflammatory injury in COVID-19 patients. Hence, the genetic background may potentially explain the broad interindividual variation in disease susceptibility and/or severity. Methods: Genetic susceptibility to COVID-19 was analyzed by examining single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ACE2 in 246 patients with COVID-19 and 210 normal controls using the TaqMan genotyping assay. Results: We demonstrated that the ACE2 SNPs rs4646142, rs6632677, and rs2074192 were associated with COVID-19 (for all, p < 0.05), and the differences in the ACE2 SNPs rs4646142 and rs6632677 were correlated with COVID-19-related systemic inflammatory injury and cardiovascular risk. Specifically, rs4646142 was associated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), prealbumin (PAB), apolipoprotein A (APOA), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and acid glycoprotein (AGP) levels. Rs6632677 was also associated with elevated CRP, acid glycoprotein (AGP), and haptoglobin (HPT). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the ACE2 SNPs rs4646142 and rs6632677 may be common genetic loci and optimal early identification genetic markers for COVID-19 with cardiovascular risk.