Publication date: Nov 14, 2024

SARS-CoV-2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) share similarities in their modes of transmission, pathophysiological symptoms, and manifestations. An imbalance in the immune response characterized by significantly elevated levels of some inflammatory cytokines may increase the risk of developing both tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 as a comorbid condition. The role of SNPs in ace2 and tmprss2 conferring higher susceptibility to TB-COVID-19 co-infection is relatively underexplored. In this study, a Cameroonian cohort consisting of COVID-19-infected (n = 31), TB-infected (n = 43), TB-COVID-19 co-infected (n = 21), and a control group (n = 24) was studied. The immune response and disease severity were estimated by quantitating inflammatory cytokine levels and self-reported and clinically diagnosed symptoms. We identified SNPs in ace2 and tmprss2 genes previously associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and assessed their association with comorbid conditions. We identified genotypes (Allele AG: rs147311723, rs35803318; Allele AA: rs2074192; Allele CG: rs4240157; Allele AG: rs4646179) in ace2 gene and (Allele CA: rs61735791, Allele CT: rs12329760) in tmprss2 genes that are putatively associated with higher susceptibility to both TB and COVID-19. This study underscores the significant genetic and immunological factors contributing to susceptibility to TB and COVID-19 co-infections.

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