P137 ACE AND ACE 2 ENZYMES POLYMORPHISM IN DIFFERENT CLINICAL COVID-19 MANIFESTATIONS IN HOSPITAL-ADMITTED PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction: The affinity of SARS-CoV-2 for the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), component of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS), is responsible for the COVID-19 virus internalization, and the ACE and ACE2 genes polymorphisms may contribute for the disease outcome. Objective: To correlate the I/D ACE and the G8790A ACE2 polymorphisms and their enzymatic activity to the virus susceptibility and the disease's clinical severity. Methods: 408 patients from Alfa Hospital, Recife – PE, were assessed. ACE activity was measured by fluorometry and the real time PCR technique was used to assess ACE's DD, ID, and II polymorphisms. Results: 71.9% of COVID-19 affected patients needed hospitalization, with 56.8% being male ranging from 40 to 59 years old. In the positive group, there were more patients with blood hypertension (80.6% vs 19.4%), diabetes (88.2% vs 11.8%), and obesity (87.5% vs 12.5%). ACE activity was higher in positive patients (46.5 vs 43.5 nmol/mL/min), with greater prevalence of the DD genotype, 85.6% of frequency between negatives and positives. When it comes to DD genotype, ACE activity was higher (48.5 nmol/mL/min). In patients with blood hypertension, ID genotype was more frequent than the DD one. Conclusion: The interaction of genetic and risk factors may lead to different COVID-19 symptomatology. The scientific literature states that ACE polymorphism may contribute for the development of blood hypertension, as the DD genotype being the susceptible one for developing cardiovascular complications by the higher concentration of Angiotensin II converted from Angiotensin I by ACE, increasing the hypertensive effects in relation to the anti-hypertensive ones of Angiotensin 1-7. The positive group showed more incidence of blood hypertension, diabetes and obesity, as well as higher frequency of the DD genotype, which is already established in literature to lead to blood hypertension due to increased ACE activity. From the observed in these results, it is suggested a correlation between ACE polymorphism and the factors that may aggravate COVID-19