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. 1999 Sep-Oct;5(5):672–680. doi: 10.3201/eid0505.990508

Influence of host genetics on the severity of coccidioidomycosis.

L Louie 1, S Ng 1, R Hajjeh 1, R Johnson 1, D Vugia 1, S B Werner 1, R Talbot 1, W Klitz 1
PMCID: PMC2627717  PMID: 10511523

Abstract

Coccidioidomycosis, a mild flulike illness in approximately 40% of infected persons, progresses to severe pulmonary or disseminated disease in 1% to 10% of symptomatic cases. We examined host genetic influences on disease severity among class II HLA loci and the ABO blood group. Participants included African-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic persons with mild or severe disseminated coccidioidomycosis from Kern County, California. Among Hispanics, predisposition to symptomatic disease and severe disseminated disease is associated with blood types A and B, respectively. The HLA class II DRB1*1301 allele marks a pre-disposition to severe disseminated disease in each of the three groups. Reduced risk for severe disease is associated with DRB1*0301-DQB1*0201 among Caucasians and Hispanics and with DRB1*1501-DQB1*0602 among African-Americans. These data support the hypothesis that host genes, in particular HLA class II and the ABO blood group, influence susceptibility to severe coccidioidomycosis.

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Selected References

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