tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Trop Med Hyg
. 2021 Jun 15;tpmd201657.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1657. Online ahead of print.
Association of Sickle Cell Trait with Risk and Mortality of COVID-19: Results from the United Kingdom Biobank
W Kyle Resurreccion[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joseph Hulsizer[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhuqing Shi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun Wei[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chi-Hsiung Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rong Na[SUP] 1 [/SUP], S Lilly Zheng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Clay Struve[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Brian T Helfand[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Janardan Khandekar[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Liana Billings[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Michael S Caplan[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jianfeng Xu[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Sickle cell trait (SCT) carriers inherit one copy of the Glu6Val mutation in the hemoglobin gene and is particularly common in Black individuals (5-10%). Considering the roles of hemoglobin in immune responses and the higher risk for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among Black individuals, we tested whether Black SCT carriers were at increased risk for COVID-19 infection and mortality according to the United Kingdom Biobank. Among Black individuals who were tested for COVID-19, we found similar infection rates among SCT carriers (14/72; 19.7%) and noncarriers (167/791; 21.1%), but higher COVID-19 mortality rates among SCT carriers (4/14; 28.6%) than among noncarriers (21/167; 12.6%) (odds ratio [OR], 3.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-11.82; P = 0.12). Notably, SCT carriers with preexisting diabetes had significantly higher COVID-19 mortality (4/4; 100%) than those without diabetes (0/10; 0%; (OR, 90.71; 95% CI, 5.66-infinite; P = 0.0005). These findings suggest that Black SCT carriers with preexisting diabetes are at disproportionally higher risk for COVID-19 mortality. Confirmation by larger studies is warranted.
. 2021 Jun 15;tpmd201657.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1657. Online ahead of print.
Association of Sickle Cell Trait with Risk and Mortality of COVID-19: Results from the United Kingdom Biobank
W Kyle Resurreccion[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joseph Hulsizer[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhuqing Shi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jun Wei[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chi-Hsiung Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rong Na[SUP] 1 [/SUP], S Lilly Zheng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Clay Struve[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Brian T Helfand[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Janardan Khandekar[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Liana Billings[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Michael S Caplan[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jianfeng Xu[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34129519
- DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1657
Abstract
Sickle cell trait (SCT) carriers inherit one copy of the Glu6Val mutation in the hemoglobin gene and is particularly common in Black individuals (5-10%). Considering the roles of hemoglobin in immune responses and the higher risk for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among Black individuals, we tested whether Black SCT carriers were at increased risk for COVID-19 infection and mortality according to the United Kingdom Biobank. Among Black individuals who were tested for COVID-19, we found similar infection rates among SCT carriers (14/72; 19.7%) and noncarriers (167/791; 21.1%), but higher COVID-19 mortality rates among SCT carriers (4/14; 28.6%) than among noncarriers (21/167; 12.6%) (odds ratio [OR], 3.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-11.82; P = 0.12). Notably, SCT carriers with preexisting diabetes had significantly higher COVID-19 mortality (4/4; 100%) than those without diabetes (0/10; 0%; (OR, 90.71; 95% CI, 5.66-infinite; P = 0.0005). These findings suggest that Black SCT carriers with preexisting diabetes are at disproportionally higher risk for COVID-19 mortality. Confirmation by larger studies is warranted.