A Pilot Study of Host Genetic Variants Associated with Influenza-associated Deaths among Children and Young Adults

摘要

We compared the prevalence of 8 polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor and mannose-binding lectin genes among 105 children and young adults with fatal in. uenza with US population estimates and determined in subanalyses whether these polymorphisms were associated with sudden death and bacterial co-infection among persons with fatal in. uenza. No differences were observed in genotype prevalence or minor allele frequencies between persons with fatal in. uenza and the reference sample. Fatal cases with low-producing MBL2 genotypes had a 7-fold increased risk for invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) co-infection compared with fatal cases with high- and intermediate-producing MBL2 genotypes (odds ratio 7.1, 95% confi dence interval 1.6–32.1). Limited analysis of 2 genes important to the innate immune response found no association between genetic variants and fatal in. uenza infection. Among children and young adults who died of in. uenza, low-producing MBL2 genotypes may have increased risk for MRSA co-infection