HAL allele frequencies in COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 could lead to a sharp increase in the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Studies have shown that there are more than 100 kinds of diseases related to human leukocyte antigen (HLA), including immune diseases. The aim of this project is to analyze the association of HLA variation with COVID-19. Here, the HLA regions of 16 individuals with COVID-19 were sequenced using Roche NimbleGen capture technology and the Illumina HiSeq X Ten system. The association between all HLA alleles and COVID-19 was analyzed using Fisher exact test. The data suggested that some HLA alleles may be associated with the occurrence of COVID-19.