Journal Article

The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 genetic variations in COVID-19 infection: a literature review

Shafie, Aya Allah Ashraf, Fawzy, Manal S, Elnoby, Ahmed S, Antar, Sarah, Ashour, Hend, Dahman, Nesrine Ben Hadj, Fares, Abdelhamid M

2022

Overview

Background The angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is recognized to be the fundamental receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2), responsible for the worldwide Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. However, genetic differences between people besides racial considerations and their relation to disease susceptibility are still not fully elucidated. Main body To uncover the role of ACE2 in COVID-19 infection, we reviewed the published studies that explore the association of COVID-19 with the functional characteristics of ACE2 and its genetic variations. Notably, emerging studies tried to determine whether the ACE2 variants and/or expression could be associated with SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV2 have conflicting results. Some researchers investigated the potential of \"population-specific\" ACE2 genetic variations to impact the SARS-CoV2 vulnerability and suggested no ethnicity enrichment for ACE2 polymorphisms that could influence SARS-CoV2 S-protein binding. At the same time, some studies use data mining to predict several ACE2 variants that could enhance or decline susceptibility to SARS-CoV. On the other hand, fewer studies revealed an association of ACE2 expression with COVID-19 outcome reporting higher expression levels of ACE2 in East Asians. Conclusions ACE2 gene variants and expression may modify the deleterious consequences of SARS-CoV2 to the host cells. It is worth noting that apart from the differences in gene expression and the genetic variations of ACE2, many other environmental and/or genetic factors could modify the disease outcome, including the genes for the innate and the adaptive immune response.

• Publisher: Springer,Springer Nature B.V,Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• Subject: ACE inhibitors / ACE2 / ACE2 gene / Adaptive immunity / Analysis / Angiotensin / Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 / China / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / Data mining / Disease susceptibility / Egypt / Enzymes / Epidemics / Gene expression / Genetic aspects / Genetic diversity / Genetic factors / Health aspects / Immune response / Literature reviews / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Peptidyl-dipeptidase A / Population genetics / Protein binding / Review / Severe acute respiratory syndrome / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2