Detección del polimorfismo RS1800795 (-174 G/C) en el gen IL-6 mediante la técnica de QPCR en pacientes con COVID-19 persistente

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant global impact on healthcare systems, and a subset of patients has developed long COVID, characterized by persistent inflammatory symptoms such as exertional dyspnea, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and insomnia. Genetic factors, particularly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytokine-related genes, may influence the persistence of these symptoms. The IL-6 gene, which encodes interleukin-6, plays a key role in the inflammatory response, and the rs1800795 (-174 G/C) polymorphism has been associated with variations in IL-6 expression and with the severity of inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the rs1800795 polymorphism in the IL-6 gene and the predisposition to developing long COVID. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted in patients treated at the Hospital Naval de Guayaquil (HOSNAG). Biological samples from 60 individuals were analyzed, distributed into a case group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). DNA extraction and genotyping were performed using real-time PCR. The results showed that the G/G genotype was the most frequent in both groups, as well as the G allele. No statistically significant differences were observed in genotype or allele distribution between the studied groups. In conclusion, the findings suggest that rs1800795 polymorphism in the IL-6 gene is not significantly associated with COVID-19 severity in the analyzed population. These results highlight the complexity of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and the need for studies with larger sample sizes and greater genetic diversity to better understand the role of genetic factors in disease progression.