COVID-19 Severity and Androgen Receptor Polymorphism

This study investigated the role of androgen receptor CAG polymorphism and hormone levels in the severity of COVID-19 among 142 male patients. It found that a higher number of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene correlated with increased disease severity, with the percentage of patients having more than 23 repeats doubling from Grade I to Grade IV severity. Additionally, lower testosterone levels were observed in patients with severe disease. The findings suggested that reduced androgenic signaling, characterized by low testosterone and reduced receptor activity, could predispose men to severe COVID-19 by triggering an excessive inflammatory response, leading to multi-organ damage.