UCLouvain - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium

Determination of Germ-Line Variations and Pathological Gene Expression that May Contribute to Immunopathology in COVID-19." The SARS-CoV-2 infection (1, 2), can be followed by a severe evolution with severe respiratory distress. We hypothesize that germline variants in genes involved in innate immunity, especially type I interferon induction and actions, predispose to delayed pathological response/cytokine storm. Our aims are to identify: i) such germ-line variants and ii) peripheral leukocyte gene expression that can predict unfavorable SARS-CoV2 infections. A group of SARS-CoV2 patients with unfavorable evolution, young and without co-morbidities (25) will be compared with an aged matched group of 25 SARS-CoV2 individuals with absence or a minimum of symptoms. Germ line DNA obtained from peripheral blood (PB) will be whole exome sequenced (WES) and analyzed with bioinformatics tools that are used for rare disease germline...

Read more: Stefan Constantinescu, Professor

ULiège - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this project involves collecting samples of human bodily material (HBM) for research projects aimed at better understanding and fighting this disease. 1 / Collection of blood and respiratory HBM from 500 patients with COVID-19 virus infection, as well as of post-mortem kidney and lung biopsies. 2 / Collection of blood HBM from 4000 healthy hospital and university staff members, currently not infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus, but possibly previously infected. SARS-CoV2 serology will be measured at 3 time points during the pandemia. "
Funding: Fondation Léon Frédéricq Wallonia Region ULiège CHU Liège
Contact: Pascale Huynen, Dpt of Microbiology, CHU of Liège. Stéphanie Gofflot, BHUL (CHU of Liège biobank).