The Thr92Ala Polymorphism in the Type 2 Deiodinase Gene is Linked to Depression in Patients with COVID-19 After Hospital Discharge

Background: The Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism has been associated with clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and neuropsychiatric diseases. This study examines the impact of the Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism on neuropsychological symptoms, particularly depressive symptoms, in patients who have had moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and were later discharged.

Methods: Our prospective cohort study, conducted from June to August 2020, collected data from 273 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. This included thyroid function tests, inflammatory markers, hematologic indices, and genotyping of the Thr92Ala-DIO2 polymorphism. Post-discharge, we followed up with 68 patients over 30 to 45 days, dividing them into depressive (29 patients) and non-depressive (39 patients) groups based on their Beck Depression Inventory scores.

Results: We categorized 68 patients into three groups based on their genotypes: Thr/Thr (22 patients), Thr/Ala (41 patients), and Ala/Ala (5 patients). Depressive symptoms were less frequent in the Thr/Ala group (29.3%) compared to the Thr/Thr (59.1%) and Ala/Ala (60%) groups ( = 0.048). The Thr/Ala heterozygous genotype correlated with a lower risk of post-COVID-19 depression, as shown by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. These analyses, adjusted for various factors, indicated a 70% to 81% reduction in risk.

Conclusion: Our findings appear to be the first to show that heterozygosity for Thr92Ala-DIO2 in patients with COVID-19 may protect against post-COVID-19 depression symptoms up to 2 months after the illness.

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