Genetic variant in the AGT gene (rs699-GG) is associated with severe COVID-19 in Brazilian patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the largest pandemic of the past century, and various genetic factors have played a significant role in this context. This study aimed to analyze the frequency and association between specific SNPs rs3806268 (NLRP3), rs4925543 (NLRP3), rs12150220 (NLRP1), rs455060 (NLRC4), rs699 (AGT), rs1137101 (LEPR), and rs1801133 (MTHFR) and severe/critical outcomes in Brazilian patients with COVID-19. A total of 100 patients were included in the study, comprising 66 cases and 34 controls. DNA was extracted, sequenced, and genotyped via next-generation sequencing (NGS). For non-parametric data, the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. Fisher's test and multivariate logistic regression, considering AIC and BIC criteria, were employed for risk analysis. Odds Ratios (OR) were calculated, with significance set at p<0.05. Among the seven evaluated SNPs, only rs699-GG (AGT) (OR=8.07; p=0.04) was significantly associated with an increased risk of developing severe/critical COVID-19. Moreover, a borderline protective association was noted between rs1801133-GA (MTHFR) and the disease, although lacking statistical significance. In conclusion, the SNP rs699-GG (AGT) was associated with an increased risk of severe/critical COVID-19.