Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of HLA-A, -B and -C polymorphisms on the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and on the progression of COVID-19 in a population from southeastern Brazil. This study included 478 unvaccinated individuals. Of these, 369 were hospitalised with critical/severe (n = 309) or moderate/mild (n = 60) symptoms, and 109 were asymptomatic. The control group consisted of 150 volunteer bone marrow donors, recruited in the pre-pandemic period. The HLA-B*15 allele group (adjusted p value < 0.001) was associated with a protective factor against symptomatic infection. Investigating the effects of the distribution of HLA alleles on susceptibility and resistance to SARS-CoV-2 may provide a better understanding of the clinical course of infection in different geographical regions.