Hypothesis: Possible respiratory advantages for heterozygote carriers of cystic fibrosis linked mutations during dusty climate of last glaciation

摘要

This paper puts forward a new hypothesis to interpret the high carrier frequency of CFTR mutations in individuals of European descent. The proposed heterozygote advantage factor is related to the specific climate conditions in Europe during the last 50 Ky that might have heavily compromised the respiratory function of our ancestors in Eurasia. A large part of the last 50 Ky was cold, and the coldest period was the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (26.5 to 19 Kya). The global climate was dry with a dust-laden atmosphere (20 to 25 times more dust than the present level). High levels of atmospheric dust started more than 40 kya and ended less than 10 kya.