Single gene variant may generate a stronger immune response to COVID vaccine

A gene variant that can increase immunity to COVID-19 after vaccination, has been identified.

Researchers from the University of Oxford discovered that people carrying a particular allele exhibit higher levels of antibodies after 28 days of their first dose of either the BioNTech Pfizer or Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The allele belongs to one of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes, which enable the immune system to differentiate between the body's proteins and those of bacteria or viruses.

'From this study we have evidence that our genetic makeup is one of the reasons why we may differ from each other in our immune response following COVID-19 vaccination. We found that inheriting a specific variant of an HLA gene was associated with higher antibody responses, but this is only the start of the story,' said Professor Julian Knight, senior author of the study and professor of genomic medicine at the University of Oxford's Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics.

The allele, called HLA-DQB1*06, is estimated to be present in up to 40 percent of the UK population. The study published in Nature Medicine examined the DNA of nearly 3000 participants of a COVID vaccine clinical trial, including a group who were tested weekly for COVID-19 infection. After an average of 494 days following their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, a disproportionately lower number of those who tested positive for COVID-19 infection had the HLA-DQB1*06 allele (34 percent). While the allele was overrepresented in those who did not experience any infection (46 percent).

These findings are among the first to identify a genetic factor that influences the immune response following vaccination. If researchers can determine the exact mechanism by which the allele brings about the enhanced immune response, it could help with designing future vaccines for both COVID-19 and other diseases.

'This study shows that our genetic makeup, in addition to factors such as age and health status, impacts on how well we respond to vaccines and our subsequent risk of diseases – such as COVID-19 – which could have important implications in the design and implementation of future vaccines' said bioinformatician Dr Daniel O'Connor, co-author of the study.

The researchers mentioned that the study was limited in its inclusion of representative populations from around the world, diverse ethnic groups and those with co-morbidities.