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. 2022 Feb;54(2):121-124.
doi: 10.1038/s41588-021-00986-w. Epub 2022 Jan 17.

The UGT2A1/UGT2A2 locus is associated with COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste

Janie F Shelton  1 , Anjali J Shastri  1 , Kipper Fletez-Brant  1 ; 23andMe COVID-19 Team; Stella Aslibekyan  1 , Adam Auton  2
Collaborators, Affiliations

The UGT2A1/UGT2A2 locus is associated with COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste

Janie F Shelton et al. Nat Genet. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Using online surveys, we collected data regarding COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste from 69,841 individuals. We performed a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study and identified a genome-wide significant locus in the vicinity of the UGT2A1 and UGT2A2 genes. Both genes are expressed in the olfactory epithelium and play a role in metabolizing odorants. These findings provide a genetic link to the biological mechanisms underlying COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste.

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