ANALYSIS OF SOME POLYMORPHIC IL-6, IL-10 GENE VARIANTS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PSYCHONEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF LONG COVID



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Abstract

The aim: to study the characteristics of the psychoneurological status and allelic distribution of some polymorphic loci in the IL-6 (interleukin-6), IL-10 (interleukin-10) genes in patients with Long COVID.

Materials and methods. The study group consisted of 130 patients (aged 18-60) with a known history of COVID-19 and a temporal association between the disease and the development of health complaints. The control group included 116 individuals with no acute infectious or somatic pathologies, chronic diseases, or complaints about somatic or mental health. The genetic markers examined were polymorphic variants of rs1800795 (IL-6) and rs1800871 (IL-10). Nucleotide sequences including these SNPs were obtained using direct Sanger sequencing.

Results. Psychoneurological symptoms in individuals with Long COVID occurred in 1/3 cases and were characterized by pronounced polymorphism. Significant intergroup differences were found in the genotype distribution of the IL6 gene polymorphism (-174G>C) (p<0.0001). A marked reduction in the frequency of the "wild-type" homozygous GG genotype was observed (6.92% versus 28%; p<0.001), which may reflect its potential protective role against developing neuro-COVID complications or association with the severe COVID-19. A predominance of the heterozygous GC genotype was found in the study group (69.23% versus 50%; p=0.0032). Analysis of IL10 genotype (-819C>T) distribution also revealed differences between the groups (p=0.0388).

Conclusion. Damage to the nervous system largely determine the clinical symptoms of post-COVID disorders. The role of polymorphic variants (-174G>C) of IL6 (rs1800795) and (-819C>T) of IL10 (rs1800871) in modulating the immune response and the pathogenesis of post-COVID syndrome has been identified.

About the authors

Anna Vasilevna Sedykh

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: ann_sedykh@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0003-0613-0383

Associate Researcher at the Laboratory of Immunology and Virology of HIV Infection

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Kristina Yuryevna Shchepotkina

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: kristinashchepotkina@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0007-0377-0536

Laboratory researcher at the Pathogen Identification Laboratory

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Yulia Vladimirovna Ostankova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: shenna1@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2270-8897

Candidate of Biological Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Immunology and Virology of HIV Infection, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Vadim Vladimirovich Rassokhin

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: ras-doc@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1159-0101

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Leading Researcher

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Ekaterina Valerievna Zagalskaya

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: kathrine.boeva@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0452-7478

Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Chronic Viral Infection, infectious Disease specialist

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Anastasia Aleksandrovna Knizhnikova

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: nasya.sur@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0005-0049-8448

medical psychologist of the Department of Chronic viral infection

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Anna Olegovna Norka

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Email: norka-anna@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6483-7043

Candidate of Medical Sciences, neurologist

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

Natalia Viktorovna Halinouskaya

Gomel State Medical University, Gomel, Republic of Belarus

Email: stroke.ynt@tut.by
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1706-0144

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Advanced Training and Retraining 

Belarus, 246000, Republic of Belarus, Gomel, Lange str., 5 g

Nikolay Alekseevich Belyakov

St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Russia

Author for correspondence.
Email: beliakov.akad.spb@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2006-2255

доктор медицинских наук, профессор, академик Российской академии наук, руководитель Северо-Западного окружного центра по профилактике и борьбе со СПИДом 

Russian Federation, 197101, St. Petersburg, Mira St., 14

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