Prevalence of the SNP rs10774671 of the OAS1 gene in Mexico as a possible predisposing factor for RNA virus disease.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the susceptibility of certain populations to RNA virus infection. This variety of agents is currently the cause of severe respiratory diseases (SARS-CoV2 and Influenza), Hepatitis C, measles and of high prevalence tropical diseases that are detected throughout the year (Dengue and Zika). The rs10774671 polymorphism is a base change from G to A in the last nucleotide of intron-5 of the OAS1 gene. This change modifies a splicing site and generates isoforms of the OAS1 protein with a higher molecular weight and a demonstrated lower enzymatic activity. The low activity of these OAS1 isoforms makes the innate immune response against RNA virus infections less efficient, representing a previously unattended risk factor for certain populations.

Objective: Determine the distribution of rs10774671 in the open population of Mexico.

Methods: In 98 healthy volunteers, allelic and genotypic frequencies were determined by qPCR using allele specific labeled probes, and the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was determined.

Results: The A-allele turned out to be the most prevalent in the analyzed population.

Conclusions: Our population is genetically susceptible to RNA virus disease due to the predominant presence of the A allele of rs10774671 in the OAS1 gene.