Angiotensin–Converting Enzyme (ACE) 1 Gene Polymorphism and Phenotypic Expression of COVID-19 Symptoms
Type
ArticleAuthors
Yamamoto, NaokiNishida, Nao
Yamamoto, Rain
Gojobori, Takashi

Shimotohno, Kunitada
Mizokami, Masashi
Ariumi, Yasuo

KAUST Department
Bioscience ProgramComputational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division
Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division
Date
2021-10-01Submitted Date
2021-08-06Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/672116
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) appears to play an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Polymorphisms within the genes that control this enzymatic system are candidates for elucidating the pathogenesis of COVID-19, since COVID-19 is not only a pulmonary disease but also affects many organs and systems throughout the body in multiple ways. Most striking is the fact that ACE2, one of the major components of the RAAS, is a prerequisite for SARS-COV-2 infection. Recently, we and other groups reported an association between a polymorphism of the ACE1 gene (a homolog of ACE2) and the phenotypic expression of COVID-19, particularly in its severity. The ethnic difference in ACE1 insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism seems to explain the apparent difference in mortality between the West and East Asia. The purpose of this review was to further evaluate the evidence linking ACE1 polymorphisms to COVID-19. We searched the Medline database (2019–2021) for reference citations of relevant articles and selected studies on the clinical outcome of COVID-19 related to ACE1 I/D polymorphism. Although the numbers of patients are not large enough yet, most available evidence supports the notion that the DD genotype adversely influences COVID-19 symptoms. Surprisingly, small studies conducted in several countries yielded opposite results, suggesting that the ACE1 II genotype is a risk factor. This contradictory result may be the case in certain geographic areas, especially in subgroups of patients. It may also be due to interactions with other genes or to yet unexplained biochemical mechanisms. According to our hypothesis, such candidates are genes that are functionally involved in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, can act in concert with the ACE1 DD genotype, and that show differences in their frequency between the West and East Asia. For this, we conducted research focusing on Alu-related genes. The current study on the ACE1 genotype will provide potentially new clues to the pathogenesis, treatment, and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections.Citation
Yamamoto, N., Nishida, N., Yamamoto, R., Gojobori, T., Shimotohno, K., Mizokami, M., & Ariumi, Y. (2021). Angiotensin–Converting Enzyme (ACE) 1 Gene Polymorphism and Phenotypic Expression of COVID-19 Symptoms. Genes, 12(10), 1572. doi:10.3390/genes12101572Sponsors
Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). Pro-gram: Research Program on Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases. Project title: Development of pathological diagnostic methods for congenital infections and unexplained illness of possible infectious etiology (grant number JP19fk0108104).Publisher
MDPI AGJournal
GenesAdditional Links
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/12/10/1572ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3390/genes12101572
Scopus Count
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.