Male carriers of HLA-C*04:01 have increased risk of cardiac injury in COVID-19

Abstract

Identification of factors that lead to the severe clinical course of COVID-19 is crucial for timely allocation of resources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible sex differences in cardiac injury associated with HLA-C*04:01. High sensitivity troponin T on admission (hs-TnTa) and maximum high sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnTmax) were used to assess for cardiac injury in patients with COVID-19 (n = 435). We tested for the association of elevated hs-TnT with HLA-C* 04:01 and evaluated for potential sex-specific differences. An association between hs-TnTa and the severity of clinical course was identified. In addition, our study revealed that hs-TnTmax was higher in men who were carriers of HLA-C*04:01 compared to men without the risk allele. Male carriers of HLA-C*04:01 with COVID-19 developed higher hs-TnTmax, suggesting a larger extent of cardiac injury. This association suggests the presence of different pathomechanisms in COVID-19 based on sex.