Polymorphism of the vascular endothelial growth factor gene regulatory regions (VEGF rs699947 and rs3025039) in patients of the West Siberian of Russia who had COVID-19.

VEGF-A is the significant cytokines associated with angiogenesis, an increase in serum levels of which was detected in coronavirus infection with COVID - 19 and its association with severity and mortality was shown. A number of polymorphic sites have been identified in the VEGF regulatory regions are associated with its level. The VEGF-2758 (rs699947) is located in the promoter region of the gene and VEGF-2578 CC genotype is associated with a higher level of production. The VEGF 936 (rs3025039) is located in the 3' untranslated region of the VEGF gene and the T allele is associated with a reduced plasma protein level. The aim of the study was to analyze the association of polymorphic positions of the regulatory regions of the VEGF gene (rs699947 and rs3025039) with the severity of the disease and cardiovascular problems in patients of the West Siberian region of Russia who suffered from COVID-19. The study included 260 patients with COVID - 19 with varying degrees of severity. The examination took into account the presence of the history of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and those that first appeared after diseases. VEGF rs699947 and VEGF rs3025039 were genotyped using TagMan probes. The reliability of differences in the distribution frequencies of the studied features in the groups was determined using a two-way version of the exact Fisher test. We found no differences in the genotypes frequency distribution of single polymorphic positions and the complex VEGF-2578/ VEGF+936 between groups with varying degrees of severity of the disease – severe, moderate, and mild, both in the general group of patients and in the subgroup of patients with CVD history. In addition, there were no significantly significant differences between patients with newly emerged CVD after infection compared to patients without similar complications, both in single genotypes and in VEGF-2578/ VEGF+936 complexes. According to our data, the functional polymorphism of the VEGF gene in these positions is not associated with either the severity of COVID - 19 or with cardiovascular disorders in the disease. Changes in VEGF levels may be due to changes in factors affecting it, which requires additional study.

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