Association between polymorphisms in adiponectin, leptin and leptin receptor genes with COVID-19 disease severity among Jordanian population

Introduction: Variations in genetic makeup can affect COVID-19 disease susceptibility and severity. Adipokines, including leptin and adiponectin, are protein hormones synthesized in the adipose tissues. Adipokines are implicated in the regulation of body metabolism and immunity. Here, the study investigated the relationships between single nucleotide polymorphisms in adiponectin (ADIPOQ: rs1501299 and rs822396), leptin (LEP: rs7799039) and leptin receptor (LEPR: rs1137101) and COVID-19 susceptibility/severity in Jordan.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, case-control design was adopted. The study included 427 subjects who never experienced COVID-19 disease (controls), and 434 subjects with COVID-19 disease history (cases). Cases included 268 subjects who experienced mild/moderate symptoms and 166 subjects who experienced severe symptoms. Genotyping of genetic variants was performed using “polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP)” technique. Cross-tabulation and multivariate regression analysis were used in data analysis.
Results: No statistical differences were found between distribution of genotypes of the studied genetic variations and susceptibility to COVID-19 (P>0.05). Regarding disease severity, the ADIPOQ rs1501299 polymorphism exhibited an association with COVID-19 severe form of the disease (P<0.05). The frequency of GT genotype was lower (P<0.05) among patients with a severe form of the disease than among the patients with a non-severe form of the disease. Finally, the AGGA haplotype of rs822396, rs1501299, rs1137101, and rs7799039 polymorphisms was higher among patients with severe form of the disease than among patients with non-severe form of the disease (P<0.01).
Conclusion: the ADIPOQ rs1501299 polymorphism and the AGGA haplotype of rs822396, rs1501299, rs1137101, and rs7799039 may contribute to COVID-9 disease severity among Jordanian people. The current results can be integrated in the management of COVID-9 disease severity.