Background: Infections are a major disease burden worldwide. While they are caused by external pathogens, host genetics also plays a part in susceptibility to infections. Past studies have reported diverse associations between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and infections, but many were limited by small sample sizes and/or focused on only one infection.
Methods: We performed an immunogenetic association study examining 13 categories of severe infection (bacterial, viral, central nervous system, gastrointestinal, genital, hepatitis, otitis, pregnancy-related, respiratory, sepsis, skin infection, urological and other infections), as well as a phenotype for having any infection, and seven classical HLA loci (HLA-A, B, C, DPB1, DQA1, DQB1 and DRB1). Additionally, we examined associations between infections and specific alleles highlighted in our previous studies of psychiatric disorders and autoimmune disease, as these conditions are known to be linked to infections.
Results: Associations between HLA loci and infections were generally not strong. Highlighted associations included associations between DQB1*0302 and DQB1*0604 and viral infections (P = 0.002835 and P = 0.014332, respectively), DQB1*0503 and sepsis (P = 0.006053), and DQA1*0301 with "other" infections (a category which includes infections not included in our main categories e.g. protozoan infections) (P = 0.000369). Some HLA alleles implicated in autoimmune diseases showed association with susceptibility to infections, but the latter associations were generally weaker, or with opposite trends (in the case of HLA-C alleles, but not with alleles of HLA class II genes). HLA alleles associated with psychiatric disorders did not show association with susceptibility to infections.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that classical HLA alleles do not play a large role in the etiology of severe infections. The discordant association trends with autoimmune disease for some alleles could contribute to mechanistic theories of disease etiology.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12967-021-02888-1 | DOI Listing |
Front Parasitol
April 2024
Centre for Malaria Elimination, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya.
The Circumsporozoite Protein (PfCSP) has been used in developing the RTS,S, and R21 malaria vaccines. However, genetic polymorphisms within compromise the effectiveness of the vaccine. Thus, it is essential to continuously assess the genetic diversity of , especially when deploying it across different geographical regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Endocrinol Metab
January 2025
Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Objective: Subacute thyroiditis (SAT) is a painful inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland, which - after a phase of thyrotoxicosis - leads to transient, or less frequently permanent hypothyroidism. Apart from a strong association with specific HLA alleles, the causes are uncertain. Viral disease has been hypothesised as a trigger, with Enteroviruses, namely Echoviruses and Coxsackieviruses, showing a seasonal distribution that coincides with the incidence of SAT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug Metab Rev
January 2025
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Idiosyncratic drug reactions (IDRs) pose severe threats to patient health. Unlike conventionally dose-dependent side effects, they are unpredictable and frequently manifest as life-threatening conditions, such as severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) and drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Some HLA alleles, such as , , and , are known risk factors for adverse reactions induced by multiple drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHeliyon
January 2025
Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, USM Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
Introduction: Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) are life-threatening and often linked to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Common types of SCARs include Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Immune-mediated mechanisms involving human leukocyte antigen () alleles have been implicated in the pathogenesis of this reaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets
December 2024
Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., Block 23, Sofia1113, Bulgaria.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a debilitating inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system characterized by demyelination, is significantly influenced by polygenic variations. Although the precise cause of MS remains unclear, it is believed to arise from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Recent investigations have focused on the polygenic nature of genetic alterations linked to MS risk.
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