{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T09:06:12Z","timestamp":1788944772320,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785888000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785888000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Int J Immunogenetics"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    There is considerable variability in the clinical presentation of COVID\u201019 among patients infected with SARS\u2010CoV\u20102. Genome\u2010wide association studies (GWASs) have identified the 12q24.13 and 3p21.31 regions, derived from Neanderthal DNA, as the human genetic loci most strongly associated with COVID\u201019 severity. We examined in this study the 3p locus in the Moroccan population by analysing allele and haplotype frequencies at the\n                    <jats:italic>LZTFL1<\/jats:italic>\n                    gene and their associations with COVID\u201019 outcomes. Three SNPs at\n                    <jats:italic>LZTFL1<\/jats:italic>\n                    , tagging the Neanderthal\u2010derived COVID\u201019 risk haplotype, were sequenced by Sanger's method in 102 ambulatory participants and 105 hospitalized patients and have been compared to 118 controls negative for SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 infection using logistic regression analysis. Results showed that the prevalence of the lead variant rs11385942 in this locus was 8.9%, whereas the variants rs35044562 and rs13078854, which tag the Neanderthal haplotype, were present in only 6.3%. Our study showed that only the rs35044562\u2010T and rs13078854\u2010A alleles were associated with a 2.5\u2010fold increased risk of severe COVID\u201019 (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u00a0=\u00a00.028). These two alleles, in LD with the rs11385942\u2010AA one, form the haplotype inherited from the Neanderthal, the only haplotype associated with COVID\u201019 severity in the Moroccan population (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u00a0=\u00a00.030), whereas sub\u2010Saharan African and the rare local haplotype also containing the rs11385942 variant do not influence the COVID\u201019 outcomes 19 (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u00a0&gt;\u00a00.05). Furthermore, our study showed that the Neanderthal haplotype at 3p21 locus exists in the inhabitants of Morocco at a frequency close to that of Europeans and suggests a close connection between North Africa and Eurasia.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/iji.70061","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T13:22:57Z","timestamp":1785936177000},"page":"381-388","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Neanderthal\u2010Derived 3p21 Haplotype at\n                    <i>LZTFL1<\/i>\n                    in Modern\u2010Day Moroccans Is Associated With COVID\u201019 Severity and Further Suggests the Presence of Neanderthals in North Africa"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"53","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5279-8649","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed","family":"Bouhouche","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Human Genetics Medical School and Pharmacy University Mohammed V in Rabat  Rabat Morocco"},{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurogenetics Specialties Hospital, CHU Ibn Sina  Rabat Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanaa","family":"Skhoun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Genetics Unit, Military Hospital Mohammed V  Rabat Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jamila El","family":"Baghdadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Genetics Unit, Military Hospital Mohammed V  Rabat Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatima\u2010Zahra El","family":"Yousfi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Human Genetics Medical School and Pharmacy University Mohammed V in Rabat  Rabat Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_11_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.27615"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2022.910098"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/15353702231181343"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/PGPM.S320609"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41588\u2010022\u201001113\u2010z"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.isci.2023.107629"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586\u2010021\u201003767\u2010x"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/molbev\/mst260"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41588\u2010021\u201000955\u20103"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10528\u2010024\u201010813\u20106"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/rmv.2466"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ebiom.2021.103806"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2023.1178939"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03014460.2024.2341727"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nature22336"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586\u2010025\u201009914\u2010y"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41588\u2010021\u201000996\u20108"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.71235"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13073\u2010021\u201000866\u20102"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/hmg\/ddaa261"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467\u2010019\u201011213\u2010w"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586\u2010020\u201003065\u2010y"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2022.06.030"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2020283"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms241813790"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaut.2021.102595"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ebiom.2021.103629"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598\u2010024\u201060568\u20108"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00705-024-06038-y"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586\u2010020\u20102818\u20103"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2026309118"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abd4570"},{"key":"e_1_2_11_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s44197\u2010023\u201000106\u2010324"}],"container-title":["International 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