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Background: ABO blood groups have been linked to susceptibility to infection with certain microorganisms, including coronaviruses. We examined the relationship between blood group and clinical outcomes in individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and compared their blood group distribution with the general population.Methods: At the inception of the pandemic, all individuals testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Kuwait were admitted to one designated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospital and enrolled in a prospective registry. Patients admitted from February 24 to May 27, 2020, were stratified according to blood group. As a control, blood groups of 3,730,027 anonymized individuals representing almost Kuwait's entire population were obtained from a national database.Results: Of 3305 SARS-CoV-2-positive patients, 37.1%, 25.5%, 28.9%, and 8.5% were groups O, A, B, and AB, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in severe clinical outcomes or death among the blood groups. However, multivariable analysis demonstrated that group A individuals had higher odds of developing pneumonia compared with non-group A (adjusted odds ratio 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.72, p < .036). Compared with the general population, the COVID-19 cohort had a lower frequency of group O, equivalent frequency of A, and higher frequency of B and AB. No significant difference in the RhD group was found.Conclusion: This study supports potential involvement of the ABO blood group system in predisposing to infection with SARS-CoV-2 in an unselected population. Examination of the mechanistic link between blood group and COVID-19 and its implications on controlling the current pandemic is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of the common fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene polymorphism rs9939609 on body mass index (BMI) in one of the most obese populations worldwide. Subjects and Methods: Genotypic data for FTO rs9939609 were available for 1,034 unrelated Kuwaiti adults obtained from Kuwait’s Dasman Diabetes Institute and Kuwait University. The association between the FTO polymorphism with BMI as continuous and categorical (normal BMI [< 25] vs. overweight/obese [> 25]) variables was analyzed using both linear and logistic regression models, respectively, with the assumption of both dominant and additive genetic models performed using the SNPassoc package from R statistics. Results: The A allele was associated with increased BMI (β = 1.21; 95% CI = 0.16–2.26; p = 0.023). In concordance, the categorical BMI (normal vs. overweight/obese) also showed a significant association between the A allele and overweight/obesity (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.01–2.12; p = 0.041). However, no association between the FTO variant was observed with cardiometabolic traits. Conclusion: We observed an association between the common FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and increased BMI (overweight/obesity) in Kuwaiti adults, which is consistent with previous research in other populations. Our findings encourage further investigation of genetic variants to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the development of obesity in such an obesogenic population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is among the leading causes of death in Kuwait. This case-control study investigated the genetic association of APOB rs11279109 with CHD in Kuwaitis. Methods. The polymorphism was genotyped in 734 Kuwaiti samples by direct amplification. Statistical analysis with genetic modeling was used to assess its association with CHD. Results. A statistically significant association (P<0.001) between the rs11279109 DD genotype (OR: 2.43, CI: 1.34–4.41) with CHD was observed. A codominant genetic model revealed a 2.69 risk increase (CI: 1.57–4.61) for the DD genotype (P=0.009) independent of age, sex, BMI, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and ethnicity suggesting APOB rs11279109 as an indicator for the increased risk of CHD. Conclusion. The DD genotype may explain molecular mechanisms that underline increased LDL oxidation leading to arthrosclerosis. The findings emphasize the need to identify genetic markers specific to the CHD patient ethnic group in order to improve prognosis and help in early diagnosis and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]