Gene Variants of the OAS/RNase L Pathway and Their Association with Severity of Symptoms and Outcome of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

Introduction: The interferon pathway plays a critical role in triggering the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, and these gene variants may be involved in the severity of COVID-19. This study aimed to analyze the frequency of three gene variants of OAS and RNASEL with the occurrence of COVID-19 symptoms and disease outcome. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 104 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, of which 34 were asymptomatic COVID-19, and 70 were symptomatic cases. The variants rs486907 (RNASEL), rs10774671 (OAS1), rs1293767 (OAS2), and rs2285932 (OAS3) were screened and discriminated using a predesigned 5′-nuclease assay with TaqMan probes. Results: Patients with the allele C of the OAS2 gene rs1293767 (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.15–0.83, p = 0.014) and allele T of the OAS3 gene rs2285932 (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.2–0.023, p = 0.023) have lower susceptibility to developing symptomatic COVID-19. The genotype frequencies (G/G, G/C, and C/C) of rs1293767 for that comparison were 64.7%, 29.4%, and 5.9% in the asymptomatic group and 95.2%, 4.8%, and 0% in severe disease (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our data indicate that individuals carrying the C allele of the OAS2 gene rs1293767 and the T allele of the OAS3 gene rs2285932 are less likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19, suggesting these genetic variations may confer a protective effect among the Mexican study population. Furthermore, the observed differences in genotype frequencies between asymptomatic individuals and those with severe disease emphasize the potential of these variants as markers for disease severity. These insights enhance our understanding of the genetic factors that may influence the course of COVID-19 and underscore the potential for genetic screening in identifying individuals at increased risk for severe disease outcomes.