Increased risk of severe clinical course of COVID-19 in carriers of HLA-C*04:01

Background: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been increasing urgency to identify pathophysiological characteristics leading to severe clinical course in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Human leukocyte antigen alleles (HLA) have been suggested as potential genetic host factors that affect individual immune response to SARS-CoV-2. We sought to evaluate this hypothesis by conducting a multicenter study using HLA sequencing. Methods: We analyzed the association between COVID-19 severity and HLAs in 435 individuals from Germany (n = 135), Spain (n = 133), Switzerland (n = 20) and the United States (n = 147), who had been enrolled from March 2020 to August 2020. This study included patients older than 18 years, diagnosed with COVID19 and representing the full spectrum of the disease. Finally, we tested our results by meta-analysing data from prior genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Findings: We describe a potential association of HLA-C*04:01 with severe clinical course of COVID-19. Carriers of HLA-C*04:01 had twice the risk of intubation when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (risk ratio 1.5 [95% CI 1.1-2.1], odds ratio 3.5 [95% CI 1.9-6.6], adjusted p-value = 0.0074). These findings are based on data from four countries and corroborated by independent results from GWAS. Our findings are biologically plausible, as HLA-C*04:01 has fewer predicted bindings sites for relevant SARS-CoV-2 peptides compared to other HLA alleles. Interpretation: HLA-C*04:01 carrier state is associated with severe clinical course in SARS-CoV-2. Our findings suggest that HLA class I alleles have a relevant role in immune defense against SARS-CoV-2. Funding: Funded by Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc

Male carriers of HLA-C*04:01 have increased risk of cardiac injury in COVID-19

Identification of factors that lead to the severe clinical course of COVID-19 is crucial for timely allocation of resources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible sex differences in cardiac injury associated with HLA-C*04:01. High sensitivity troponin T on admission (hs-TnTa) and maximum high sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnTmax) were used to assess for cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19 (n = 435). We tested for the association of elevated hs-TnT with HLA-C* 04:01 and evaluated for potential sex-specific differences. An association between hs-TnTa and the severity of clinical course was identified. In addition, our study revealed that hs-TnTmax was higher in men who were carriers of HLA-C*04:01 compared to men without the risk allele. Male carriers of HLA-C*04:01 with COVID-19 developed higher hs-TnTmax, suggesting a larger extent of cardiac injury. This association suggests the presence of different pathomechanisms in COVID-19 based on sex

Novel colchicine-site binders with a cyclohexanedione scaffold identified through a ligand-based virtual screening approach

Vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) constitute an innovative anticancer therapy that targets the tumor endothelium, leading to tumor necrosis. Our approach for the identification of new VDAs has relied on a ligand 3-D shape similarity virtual screening (VS) approach using the ROCS program as the VS tool and as query colchicine and TN-16, which both bind the α,β-tubulin dimer. One of the hits identified, using TN-16 as query, has been explored by the synthesis of its structural analogues, leading to 2-(1-((2-methoxyphenyl) amino)ethylidene)-5-phenylcyclohexane-1,3-dione (compound 16c) with an IC 50 = 0.09 ± 0.01 μM in HMEC-1 and BAEC, being 100-fold more potent than the initial hit. Compound 16c caused cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and interacted with the colchicine-binding site in tubulin, as confirmed by a competition assay with N,N′-ethylenebis(iodoacetamide) and by fluorescence spectroscopy. Moreover, 16c destroyed an established endothelial tubular network at 1 μM and inhibited the migration and invasion of human breast carcinoma cells at 0.4 μM. In conclusion, our approach has led to a new chemotype of promising antiproliferative compounds with antimitotic and potential VDA properties.Peer Reviewe

Increased risk of severe clinical course of COVID-19 in carriers of HLA-C*04:01.

BackgroundSince the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been increasing urgency to identify pathophysiological characteristics leading to severe clinical course in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Human leukocyte antigen alleles (HLA) have been suggested as potential genetic host factors that affect individual immune response to SARS-CoV-2. We sought to evaluate this hypothesis by conducting a multicenter study using HLA sequencing.MethodsWe analyzed the association between COVID-19 severity and HLAs in 435 individuals from Germany (n = 135), Spain (n = 133), Switzerland (n = 20) and the United States (n = 147), who had been enrolled from March 2020 to August 2020. This study included patients older than 18 years, diagnosed with COVID-19 and representing the full spectrum of the disease. Finally, we tested our results by meta-analysing data from prior genome-wide association studies (GWAS).FindingsWe describe a potential association of HLA-C*04:01 with severe clinical course of COVID-19. Carriers of HLA-C*04:01 had twice the risk of intubation when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (risk ratio 1.5 [95% CI 1.1-2.1], odds ratio 3.5 [95% CI 1.9-6.6], adjusted p-value = 0.0074). These findings are based on data from four countries and corroborated by independent results from GWAS. Our findings are biologically plausible, as HLA-C*04:01 has fewer predicted bindings sites for relevant SARS-CoV-2 peptides compared to other HLA alleles.InterpretationHLA-C*04:01 carrier state is associated with severe clinical course in SARS-CoV-2. Our findings suggest that HLA class I alleles have a relevant role in immune defense against SARS-CoV-2.FundingFunded by Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc