title: Genetic relatedness as a determinant of predisposition to Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infection.
abstract: The present study examines the role of host genetics in predisposition to Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infection, by comparing the associations between age-standardized infection intensities of parents and their children (genetically related), with age-standardized infection intensities of parents alone (not related), within families previously demonstrated to exhibit familial predisposition. The lack of a consistent trend in infection intensity associations within families, in particular the lack of a stronger association between parents and their children than between unrelated parents, suggests that host genetic factors are not a major determinant of infection status. If there is a genetic basis for predisposition, then the data suggest that the effects of this genetic basis are overwhelmed by other, environmental or behavioural features of the family household.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Imperial College, London, U.K.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bundy
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D014257:Trichuriasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology