Common human leucocyte antigensassociated with the development of subacute thyroiditis and COVID-19.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Case reports of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) following coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) have been reported. Because the relationship between SAT and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles is known, we aimed to determine HLA alleles that may predispose a patient to coronavirus infection and/or post-COVID-19 SAT. METHOD: This retrospective study was conducted in 51 patients with SAT and 190 healthy bone marrow donor volunteers. HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 were genotyped using next-generation sequencing. The study population was grouped into four groups according to SAT and COVID-19 history. RESULTS: The frequency of HLA-DQB1*0402 was higher in the COVID-19(-) participants than in the COVID-19(+) participants (=0.045). The presence of HLA-DQB1*0402 was associated with a lower risk of developing COVID-19 in all groups. The frequencies of HLA-B*3501, HLA-B*3503, HLA-DRB1*1201, and HLA-DRB1*1401 were different in the SAT(+) group than in the SAT(-) group in COVID-19(-) group. The frequencies of HLA-C*1203, HLA-DQB1*0604, HLA-DRB1*1302, and HLA-DRB1*1303 were different in the SAT(+) group than in the SAT(-) group in the COVID-19 (+) group. The difference in the frequency of these HLA types remains significant when the four groups are included together as follows In the COVID-19(+) group, the frequencies of HLA-DRB1*1302, and HLA-DRB1*1303 were higher in the SAT(+) group than in the SAT(-) group. In the COVID-19(-) group, the frequencies of HLA-B*3503, HLA-DRB1*1201, and HLA-DRB1*1401 were higher in the SAT (+) group than in the SAT(-) group. CONCLUSION: HLA alleles associated with SAT susceptibility may vary with COVID-19 history.