AGE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED EXPRESSION OF PATTERN RECOGNITION RECEPTOR GENES ANDACE2, THE RECEPTOR FOR SARS-COV-2: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COVID-19 DISEASE

Older aged adults and those with pre-existing conditions are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 associated outcomes. Using a large dataset of genome-wide RNA-seq profiles derived from human dermal fibroblasts (GSE113957) we investigated whether age affects the expression of pattern recognition receptor (PRR) genes andACE2, the receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Older age was associated with increased expression of PRR genes,ACE2and four genes that encode proteins that have been shown to interact with SAR2-CoV-2 proteins. Assessment of PRR expression might provide a strategy for stratifying the risk of severe COVID-19 disease at both the individual and population levels.