ACE2 Receptor Polymorphism and its Correlation with Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM Antibodies - A Case-Control Study

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and spread rapidly worldwide. The virus gets entry into target cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors and its gene is highly polymorphic. Introduction: The variations in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and severity can be explained on a genetic level by studying the polymorphism in ACE2 receptor polymorphism. Objective: A prospective case-control study was designed to compare the ACE2 levels in SARS-CoV- 2 patients with the healthy controls in the local population, for which a total of 100 EDTA-containing blood samples were included (50 SARS-CoV-2 IgM positive case and 50 healthy controls). Methods: PCR-RFLP was performed to investigate the polymorphism of ACE2 in genomic DNA and the ACE2 plasma levels were determined through ELISA. Results: No significant difference in allelic and genotype frequencies (GG, GA, AA) were observed while the ACE2 plasma levels were found to be decreased in positive samples. Conclusion: No significant association of the ACE2 gene polymorphism (G8790A) was found with the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in the Pakistani population which intimates the search for other genetic factors within the local population.