Human genetic susceptibility to infectious disease.
Recent genome-wide studies have reported novel associations between common polymorphisms and susceptibility to many major infectious diseases in humans. In parallel, an increasing number of rare mutations underlying susceptibility to specific phenotypes of infectious disease have been described. Together, these developments have highlighted a key role for host genetic variation in determining the susceptibility to infectious disease. They have also provided insights into the genetic architecture of infectious disease susceptibility and identified immune molecules and pathways that are directly relevant to the human host defence.
Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK. schapman@well.ox.ac.uk
Stephen J
SJ
Chapman
Adrian V S
AV
Hill
D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*