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Association of the C3953T (rs1143634) variant of the interleukin 1 beta gene with the features of a complicated course of COVID-19-associated pneumonia

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Abstract

Background

The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 plays an important role in severe COVID-19. A change in IL-1 production may be associated with a mutation in the IL1Β gene. Our study analyzed the impact of the IL1Β gene variants (rs1143634) on disease progression in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, taking into account treatment strategies.

Methods and results

The study enrolled 117 patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. The IL1Β gene variants were identified using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. In the group of patients, the following genotype frequencies were found based on the investigated rs1143634 variant of the IL1Β gene: CC–65.8%, CT–28.2%, and TT–6.0%. Our results showed that the group of patients with the T allele of the IL1Β gene had higher leukocyte counts (p = 0.040) and more pronounced lymphopenia (p = 0.007). It was determined that patients carrying the T allele stayed on ventilators significantly longer (p = 0.049) and required longer treatment with corticosteroids (p = 0.045).

Conclusion

Identifying variants of the IL1Β gene can be used as a predictive tool for assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia and tailoring personalized treatment strategies. Further research with a larger patient cohort is required to validate these findings.

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Funding

This study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Poltava State Medical University, Poltava, Ukraine

    Valeriy Pokhylko, Yuliia Cherniavska, Halyna Soloviova & Liudmyla Zhuk

  2. Department of Genetic Diagnostics, Institute of Genetic and Regenerative Medicine, SI “M.D. Strazhesko National Scientific Center of the NAMS of Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Liliia Fishchuk, Olena Ievseienkova & Nataliia Gorovenko

  3. SI “Reference-Center for Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Public Health of Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine

    Zoia Rossokha, Olena Popova & Viktoriia Vershyhora

Authors
  1. Valeriy Pokhylko
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  2. Yuliia Cherniavska
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Contributions

All authors contributed to manuscript preparation. Conception, design, and methodology: VP, ZR, and NG. Data collection: VP, HS, LZ. Molecular analysis: OP, VV, OI. Data Curation: YC. Manuscript drafting: YC, LF. Statistical analysis: LF. Critical revision and editing: VP, ZR, NG. AA. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liliia Fishchuk.

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Competing interests

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Ethical approval

This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of Poltava State Medical University (minutes No.188 as of November 25, 2020). Informed consent was obtained from all individuals participating in this study.

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Pokhylko, V., Cherniavska, Y., Fishchuk, L. et al. Association of the C3953T (rs1143634) variant of the interleukin 1 beta gene with the features of a complicated course of COVID-19-associated pneumonia. Mol Biol Rep 51, 630 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-024-09569-4

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