GDF15 and ACE2 stratify COVID-19 patients according to severity while ACE2 mutations increase infection susceptibility
Margalida Torrens‐Mas, Catalina M. Perelló-Reus, Neus Trias-Ferrer, Lesly Ibargüen-González, Catalina Crespı́, Aina M. Galmés‐Panades, Cayetano Navas-Enamorado, Andrés Sánchez-Polo, Javier Piérola-Lopetegui, Luís Masmiquel, Lorenzo Socías Crespí, Carles Barceló, Marta González‐Freire
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a persistent global pandemic with a very heterogeneous disease presentation ranging from a mild disease to dismal prognosis. Early detection of sensitivity and severity of COVID-19 is essential for the development of new treatments. In the present study, we measured the levels of circulating growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in plasma of severity-stratified COVID-19 patients and uninfected control patients and characterized the in vitro effects and cohort frequency of ACE2 SNPs. Our results show that while circulating GDF15 and ACE2 stratify COVID-19 patients according to disease severity, ACE2 missense SNPs constitute a risk factor linked to infection susceptibility.