What is it about?
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a worrying surge in mucormycosis cases, particularly among patients with compromised immunity. While environmental and clinical risk factors such as diabetes, corticosteroid use, and prolonged hospitalization are well-established, emerging evidence suggests a crucial role for host genetic factors in determining susceptibility and severity of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients. Genetic variations in immune response genes, including those involved in iron metabolism (e.g., HFE), pattern recognition receptors (e.g., TLR2, TLR4, Dectin-1), and cytokine signaling pathways (IL6, TNF-α, IFNG), may impair innate and adaptive immune defenses, thereby facilitating fungal invasion and dissemination. This review synthesizes the current understanding of genetic predisposition to mucormycosis in the context of COVID-19, aiming to identify potential biomarkers for early risk detection and to inform future precision medicine strategies.
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Why is it important?
Understanding the genetic landscape of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients offers a critical step toward personalized infection risk profiling. The interaction between viral-induced immune dysregulation and host genetic vulnerabilities creates a permissive environment for fungal invasion. Variants in genes regulating macrophage activation, neutrophil response, and epithelial barrier integrity could compromise the host’s first line of defense. Moreover, genetic predispositions to hyperinflammation or poor pathogen recognition can exacerbate disease severity. Currently, genetic studies remain limited, with a pressing need for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and host-pathogen interaction models in diverse populations. Identifying these genetic markers could help stratify high-risk patients, guide antifungal prophylaxis, and ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19-associated mucormycosis.
Perspectives
Identifies host genetic variants that may increase vulnerability to mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients. Supports development of genetic biomarkers for early detection and targeted intervention in high-risk individuals. Emphasizes the need for large-scale genetic studies to integrate host genomics with clinical care in fungal infections.
Dr.Ramakrishnan Veerabathiran
Chettinad Health City
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Genetic Basis for Mucormycosis Progression in COVID-19 Patients: From Susceptibility to Severity, Infectious Diseases & Immunity, March 2024, Wolters Kluwer Health,
DOI: 10.1097/id9.0000000000000115.
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