COVID-19: Variable Immune Response in Indian Population

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Microbiology, University College of Medical Sciences (University of Delhi) & GTB Hospital, Delhi, India

2 Northern Railways Central Hospital, Delhi, India

3 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi Arabia

4 Skinnocence: The Skin Clinic & Research Centre, Gurugram, India

5 Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona USA

6 Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

With a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, still, variance in terms of transmission and susceptibility of different populations/ethnicities to the disease remains an enigma. The clinical outcome of COVID-19 disease is poor in patients with associated morbidities; however, the reasons behind significant mortality of immuno‐competent healthy individuals attributed to fulminant infection remains to be elucidated. Generally, protective B and T cell-mediated immune responses seem to have a tilted balance causing a sustained inflammatory state in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. The genetic makeup of an individual is highly likely to play a major role in elicitation as well as the outcome of the immune response in COVID‐19 cases. The Indian response to COVID-19 indicates a potential influence of genetic background on host immune response pathways leading to decreased susceptibility and mortality to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many host genes are involved in the entry and replication of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the subsequent host immune response. The current review discusses the potential cytokine gene polymorphisms prevalent in the Indian population that may influence the transmission, severity and mortality due to COVID‐19 infection. 

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