Clonal hematopoiesis is associated with risk of severe Covid-19

Abstract

Acquired somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (clonal hematopoiesis or CH) are associated with advanced age, increased risk of cardiovascular and malignant diseases, and decreased overall survival. ^1-4 These adverse sequelae may be mediated by altered inflammatory profiles observed in patients with CH. ^2,5,6 A pro-inflammatory immunologic profile is also associated with worse outcomes of certain infections, including SARS-CoV-2 and its associated disease Covid-19. ^7,8 Whether CH predisposes to severe Covid-19 or other infections is unknown. Among 515 individuals with Covid-19 from Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) and the Korean Clonal Hematopoiesis (KoCH) consortia, we found that CH was associated with severe Covid-19 outcomes (OR=1.9, 95%=1.2-2.9, p=0.01). We further explored the relationship between CH and risk of other infections in 14,211 solid tumor patients at MSK. CH was significantly associated with risk of <i>Clostridium Difficile</i> (HR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3, p=6×10 ^-3 ) and <i>Streptococcus/Enterococcus</i> infections (HR=1.5, 95% CI=1.1-2.1, p=5×10 ^-3 ). These findings suggest a relationship between CH and risk of severe infections that warrants further investigation.