Genetics, Epigenetics & Covid 19

Genetics, Epigenetics & Covid 19

How to Leverage Your Genes Against COVID-19?

With the rise of COVID-19 cases, many people are trying to figure out what are their risk factors for contracting the virus and how serious it will be.

Research has found that there is a big variation in the types of symptoms people develop, ranging from no symptoms to severe respiratory failure.  While we know age, gender and other comorbidities such as obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels play a role in the severity or development of the virus, there are many people who appear to be healthy, yet still contract and develop serious symptoms from the virus.

It turns out your environment (what you eat, how you sleep, how you move and more) may have a profound impact on your viral risk when combined with your genetics.  The new My ToolBox Genomics Respiratory Viral Risk Score takes you on a deep dive into understanding your environment, lifestyle and genetics. 

Utilizing an in depth questionnaire, you will easily see what role your lifestyle, your environment and your genetics individually play in the possible risk for the virus AND more importantly targeted recommendations to help you strengthen your immune resilience.

How does genetic variation increase or decrease your viral risk?

Researchers have found more than two dozen genes tied to COVID-19. Having these genetic variants can increase your risk of having a more severe form of the disease. A couple of the top ranked genes in many studies are IL-6 and ACE.

IL-6 is interleukin-6 which is a cytokine molecule. Cytokines are key mediators of the inflammatory response. They are important for defense against a wide variety of viruses. It participates in the regulation of both innate immunity and inflammatory processes. Individuals with variations in this gene generally have higher levels of inflammation. If someone develops the virus and has the variant for the IL-6 gene, they may experience higher levels of inflammatory response which may lead to more medical support. 

ACE is an angiotensin-converting enzyme. It is a gene that makes an enzyme involved in many processes throughout the body. This includes blood pressure regulation. Additionally, a form of the angiotensin-converting enzyme is present in the lungs, creating a binding site for the virus. Patients with respiratory problems may have a higher expression of this gene and maybe more likely to contract the virus. 

Besides IL-6 and ACE, , nutrient genes such as GSTP1, MTHFR, VEGF, and Vitamin D have an effect on your immune resilience as well. Oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms responsible for respiratory diseases.  The GSTP1 gene is located in the lungs.  This gene makes an enzyme involved in protecting the cells from oxidative stress. 

While MTHFR has been more commonly associated with folate levels, it can also increase oxidative stress. Someone with a mutation in the MTHFR gene is far more vulnerable to illness and infection because of its direct tie to glutathione production. Glutathione is a major antioxidant in our body. Thus, those with MTHFR mutations have low levels of glutathione. This increases their susceptibility to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays a role in COVID-19 where people may have decreased O2 saturation (oxygen levels in the lungs) and shortness of breath.

Besides that, investigations have revealed that the COVID-19 infection contributes to brain inflammation. This leads to  symptoms such as loss of smell, inability to taste, and muscle weakness. Variants of the VEGF gene are responsible for this as they play a crucial role in the brain. 

Furthermore, research shows that a decreased immune system is associated with lower vitamin D levels. There are some genetic variants that will lead to a decrease in vitamin D levels. Learning about these variants will help you manage your vitamin D levels and improve the function of your immune system.

What can you do to reduce your risk?

Knowing your genetic predispositions will allow you to make informed decisions. Environmental factors such as poor air quality can have a negative impact on your health. This can be amplified when combined with specific genetic factors. Learn about your Respiratory Viral Risk Score today to help you make more personalized and informed choices today! 

References:

1. Severe Covid-19 GWAS Group, Genomewide Association Study of Severe Covid-19 with Respiratory Failure. N Engl J Med. 2020 Oct 15;383(16):1522-1534. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2020283. Epub 2020 Jun 17. PMID: 32558485; PMCID: PMC7315890.

2. Di Maria E, Latini A, Borgiani P, Novelli G. Genetic variants of the human host influencing the coronavirus-associated phenotypes (SARS, MERS and COVID-19): rapid systematic review and field synopsis. Hum Genomics. 2020 Sep 11;14(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s40246-020-00280-6.

3. Han H, Ma Q, Li C, Liu R, Zhao L, Wang W, Zhang P, Liu X, Gao G, Liu F, Jiang Y, Cheng X, Zhu C, Xia Y. Profiling serum cytokines in COVID-19 patients reveals IL-6 and IL-10 are disease severity predictors. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2020 Dec;9(1):1123-1130. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1770129.

4. Bourgonje AR, Abdulle AE, Timens W, Hillebrands JL, Navis GJ, Gordijn SJ, Bolling MC, Dijkstra G, Voors AA, Osterhaus AD, van der Voort PH, Mulder DJ, van Goor H. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), SARS-CoV-2 and the pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). J Pathol. 2020 Jul;251(3):228-248. doi: 10.1002/path.5471. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

5. Du Y, Zhang H, Xu Y, Ding Y, Chen X, Mei Z, Ding H, Jie Z. Association among genetic polymorphisms of GSTP1, HO-1, and SOD-3 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease susceptibility. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2019 Sep 6;14:2081-2088. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S213364.

6. Yin XX, Zheng XR, Peng W, Wu ML, Mao XY. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) as a Vital Target for Brain Inflammation during the COVID-19 Outbreak. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2020 Jun 17;11(12):1704-1705. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00294. 

7. Cecchini, R., & Cecchini, A. L. (2020). SARS-CoV-2 infection pathogenesis is related to oxidative stress as a response to aggression. Medical hypotheses, 143, 110102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110102