SARS-CoV-2 infection in alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency

• Published in: Respiratory medicine Vol. 184; p. 106466
• Main Authors: Schneider, Carolin V., Strnad, Pavel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: AAT; AATD; Acute Disease; alpha 1-Antitrypsin - genetics; alpha 1-Antitrypsin - physiology; alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency - genetics; Biobanks; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Cohort Studies; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - mortality; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Emphysema; Fatalities; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Genotype & phenotype; Genotypes; Humans; Immunomodulation; Infections; Lung diseases; Male; Mortality; Mutation; Negative Results; Obstructive lung disease; Original Research; Peptide Fragments - genetics; Peptide Fragments - physiology; Pharmaceuticals; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - genetics; Pulmonary Emphysema - genetics; SARS-CoV2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Severity of Illness Index; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Writing; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK; AAT; SARS-CoV2; AATD
• ISSN: 0954-6111; 1532-3064; 1532-3064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106466

Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency arises due to mutations in alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) gene and represents the most prominent genetic predisposition to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. Since AAT plays important immunomodulatory and tissue-protective roles and since it was suggested to protect from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we assessed this association in United Kingdom Biobank, a community-based cohort with >500,000 participants. The most common, mild AATD genotypes were associated neither with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates nor with increased SARS-CoV-2 fatalities, while the numbers of severe AATD cases were too low to allow definitive conclusions. •Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) may predispose to SARS-CoV-2 infection.•Subjects with mild AATD do not carry an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2-related injury.•We found no increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or death associated with AATD.