Genetic polymorphisms of ACE insertion/deletion, TNF-α (-308G>A), and IL-6 (-572G/C) in among recurrent COVID-19 subjects.

This article investigates the association of genetic polymorphisms in the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) -308G>A, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) -572G/C genes with susceptibility to recurrent COVID-19 infections in a Malaysian population. In a case-control study of 120 participants (60 with recurrent COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR at least 90 days apart and 60 SARS-CoV-2-negative controls), significant associations were found for the ACE D allele and IL-6 C allele, both more frequent in recurrent cases, suggesting these variants contribute to increased risk of reinfection. A modest association was observed for the TNF-α A allele at the allelic level but not at the genotype level. The findings highlight the potential role of pro-inflammatory genetic variants in predisposing individuals to repeated SARS-CoV-2 infections and support the utility of host genetic profiling in understanding and managing COVID-19 recurrence.