Ethnic Genetic Prevalence of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (Insertion/Deletion) Polymorphism and COVID-19 Risk in the Jordanian Arab Population: A Possible Predictor of Mortality and Morbidity

COVID-19 pandemic has aggressively spread over countries, posing a medical concern to the worldwide human population. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is implicated in the pathophysiology and infection processes of the SARS-CoV-2. The novel RNA virus binds and enters to cells by attaching with angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) receptors. Additionally, the angiotensin-converting enzyme I (ACE) polymorphisms influence the activity of the ACE2, and thus, the outcomes of the COVID-19. We aimed to determine the genotypic and allelic frequency of the insertion/deletion polymorphism found in the ACE gene (ACE I/D) (rs4646994) in the Arab Jordanians. Moreover, we investigated if there is any genetic association in the allele and genotype frequency of rs4646994 polymorphism in respect to sex. Around 525 blood samples were used to isolate DNA. Genotyping of the ACE I/D polymorphism was carried out in 3% agarose gel mixed with Ethidium bromide. We found that the frequency of the D allele (66%) is significantly distributed than the I allele (34%) in the Jordanian population. Moreover, the DD genotype (42%) was more prevalent than the II (11%) genotype. Significant difference association of the genotypic frequency, not allelic frequency was found between males and females. In summary, our research has revealed the potential role of the ACE I/D variant in the increased morbidity and mortality rates in the Jordanian population.Funding Information: The study was funded by grant no. 130/2021 to AL-Eitan from the Deanship of Research of the Jordan University of Science and Technology.Conflict of Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.Ethical Approval: The Human Ethics Committee of the Jordanian University of Science and Technology approved the current research and written informed consent was submitted from each volunteer (43/114/2018).