title: Genetic factors influence serological measures of common infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Antibodies against infectious pathogens provide information on past or present exposure to infectious agents. While host genetic factors are known to affect the immune response, the influence of genetic factors on antibody levels to common infectious agents is largely unknown. Here we test whether antibody levels for 13 common infections are significantly heritable.
  
  
  METHODS
  IgG antibodies to Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Toxoplasma gondii, adenovirus 36 (Ad36), hepatitis A virus, influenza A and B, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and -2, human herpesvirus-6, and varicella zoster virus were determined for 1,227 Mexican Americans. Both quantitative and dichotomous (seropositive/seronegative) traits were analyzed. Influences of genetic and shared environmental factors were estimated using variance components pedigree analysis, and sharing of underlying genetic factors among traits was investigated using bivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serological phenotypes were significantly heritable for most pathogens (h(2) = 0.17-0.39), except for Ad36 and HSV-2. Shared environment was significant for several pathogens (c(2) = 0.10-0.32). The underlying genetic etiology appears to be largely different for most pathogens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate, for the first time for many of these pathogens, that individual genetic differences of the human host contribute substantially to antibody levels to many common infectious agents, providing impetus for the identification of underlying genetic variants, which may be of clinical importance.
authors: Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA. rohina @ TxBiomedGenetics.org
authors: Rohina
authors: R
authors: Rubicz
authors: Charles T
authors: CT
authors: Leach
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Kraig
authors: Nikhil V
authors: NV
authors: Dhurandhar
authors: Ravindranath
authors: R
authors: Duggirala
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Blangero
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Yolken
authors: Harald H H
authors: HH
authors: Göring
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D010375:Pedigree; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral