{"id":20600,"date":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/sessions\/trans-ancestry-genome-wide-association-study-reveals-pleiotropic-mechanisms-linking-viral-susceptibility-to-post-acute-neurological-sequelae-in-a-multi-ethnic-asian-cohort\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:33:05","slug":"trans-ancestry-genome-wide-association-study-reveals-pleiotropic-mechanisms-linking-viral-susceptibility-to-post-acute-neurological-sequelae-in-a-multi-ethnic-asian-cohort","status":"publish","type":"wsa_session","link":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/sessions\/trans-ancestry-genome-wide-association-study-reveals-pleiotropic-mechanisms-linking-viral-susceptibility-to-post-acute-neurological-sequelae-in-a-multi-ethnic-asian-cohort\/","title":{"rendered":"Trans-ancestry genome-wide association study reveals pleiotropic mechanisms linking viral susceptibility to post-acute neurological sequelae in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Current genetic risk scores for COVID-19 are derived mainly from European populations, creating a &quot;health equity gap&quot; for Asian patients in primary care. Furthermore, the biological basis of &quot;Long COVID&quot;\u2014particularly the &quot;brain fog&quot; and fatigue frequently managed by General Practitioners (GPs)\u2014remains poorly defined, limiting targeted management strategies.To identify population-specific genetic risk factors for COVID-19 severity and post-acute sequelae in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort (Chinese, Malay, Indian) to improve risk stratification in primary care.We analyzed Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data from 45,797 individuals in a national cohort, linked to comprehensive national administrative health records. We performed ancestry-stratified GWAS and meta-analysis for acute phenotypes (Susceptibility, Severity) and Long COVID (Neurological, Cardiovascular). Cross-phenotype gene-burden tests (MAGMA) were conducted with Influenza and Invasive Bacterial infections to identify broad-spectrum host defense mechanisms relevant to community-acquired infections.We identified 10 genome-wide significant loci. For acute severity, we identified a novel risk locus in ADAMTS5 (P = 4.1 x 10-10), a metalloproteinase governing lung tissue remodeling. Cross-phenotype analysis revealed ANKS1B as a putative pleiotropic risk factor associated with susceptibility to Influenza, Invasive Bacterial infections, and COVID-19 (P = 4.1 x 10-9). Crucially, for Long COVID, we identified GRID2 (P\u00a0= 9.7 x 10-10)\u2014a cerebellar glutamate receptor\u2014as a top risk factor for post-acute neurological sequelae.The identification of ANKS1B suggests a subset of patients possesses a &quot;pan-susceptible&quot; mucosal barrier defect, making them &quot;frequent flyers&quot; for viral and bacterial respiratory infections in the community. Furthermore, the association of GRID2 with Neurological Long COVID supports a &quot;Synaptic Failure&quot; hypothesis for post-viral brain fog, moving the field beyond vague inflammation theories toward specific neural targets relevant to cognitive rehabilitation.This study underscores the critical importance of non-European cohorts in refining genetic risk stratification. The findings support a precision medicine approach where GPs could prioritize individuals with &quot;Pleiotropic&quot; risk variants for broader vaccination strategies (e.g., Influenza and Pneumococcal) alongside COVID-19 prevention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-20600","wsa_session","type-wsa_session","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session\/20600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wsa_session"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}