tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Immunol
. 2023 Jun 21;14:1216211.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1216211. eCollection 2023. The genetic associations of COVID-19 on genitourinary symptoms
Zhenglin Chang[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Lingyue An[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Min Lei[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Zhenfeng Song[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Jian Deng[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ruizheng Tang[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Zhangkai J Cheng[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Wenqi Wu[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Baoqing Sun[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Recently emerged reports indicated that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might experience novo genitourinary symptoms after discharge. Nevertheless, the causal associations and underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear.
Methods: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) statistics for COVID-19 and 28 genitourinary symptoms with consistent definitions were collected from the COVID-19 Host Genetic Initiative, FinnGen, and UK Biobanks. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were applied to explore the causal effects of COVID-19 on genitourinary symptoms by selecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables. Meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate the combined causal effect. Molecular pathways connecting COVID-19 and its associated disorders were evaluated by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and enrichment analyses to extract insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the connection.
Results: The MR and meta-analyses indicated that COVID-19 was causally associated with increased risk for calculus of the lower urinary tract (LUTC, OR: 1.2984 per doubling in odds of COVID-19, 95% CI: 1.0752-1.5680, p = 0.007) and sexual dysfunction (SD, OR: 1.0931, 95% CI: 1.0292-1.1610, p = 0.004). Intriguingly, COVID-19 might exert a slight causal protective effect on the progression of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bladder cancer (BLCA). These results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that the inflammatory-immune response module may mediate the links between COVID-19 and its associated disorders at the molecular level.
Conclusions: In response to post-COVID-19 symptoms, we recommend that COVID-19 patients should strengthen the prevention of LUTC and the monitoring of sexual function. Meanwhile, the positive effects of COVID-19 on UTIs and BLCA should attach equal importance.
Keywords: COVID-19; bladder cancer; calculus of lower urinary tract; mendelian randomization; sexual dysfunction; urinary tract infections.
. 2023 Jun 21;14:1216211.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1216211. eCollection 2023. The genetic associations of COVID-19 on genitourinary symptoms
Zhenglin Chang[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Lingyue An[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Min Lei[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Zhenfeng Song[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Jian Deng[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ruizheng Tang[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Zhangkai J Cheng[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Wenqi Wu[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Baoqing Sun[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37415973
- PMCID: PMC10319997
- DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1216211
Background: Recently emerged reports indicated that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might experience novo genitourinary symptoms after discharge. Nevertheless, the causal associations and underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear.
Methods: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) statistics for COVID-19 and 28 genitourinary symptoms with consistent definitions were collected from the COVID-19 Host Genetic Initiative, FinnGen, and UK Biobanks. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were applied to explore the causal effects of COVID-19 on genitourinary symptoms by selecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables. Meta-analyses were conducted to evaluate the combined causal effect. Molecular pathways connecting COVID-19 and its associated disorders were evaluated by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and enrichment analyses to extract insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the connection.
Results: The MR and meta-analyses indicated that COVID-19 was causally associated with increased risk for calculus of the lower urinary tract (LUTC, OR: 1.2984 per doubling in odds of COVID-19, 95% CI: 1.0752-1.5680, p = 0.007) and sexual dysfunction (SD, OR: 1.0931, 95% CI: 1.0292-1.1610, p = 0.004). Intriguingly, COVID-19 might exert a slight causal protective effect on the progression of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bladder cancer (BLCA). These results were robust to sensitivity analyses. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that the inflammatory-immune response module may mediate the links between COVID-19 and its associated disorders at the molecular level.
Conclusions: In response to post-COVID-19 symptoms, we recommend that COVID-19 patients should strengthen the prevention of LUTC and the monitoring of sexual function. Meanwhile, the positive effects of COVID-19 on UTIs and BLCA should attach equal importance.
Keywords: COVID-19; bladder cancer; calculus of lower urinary tract; mendelian randomization; sexual dysfunction; urinary tract infections.