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The SNP rs12252-C allele alters the function of interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 increasing the disease severity of influenza virus infection in Caucasians, but the allele is rare. However, rs12252-C is much more common in Han Chinese. Here we report that the CC genotype is found in 69% of Chinese patients with severe pandemic influenza A H1N1/09 virus infection compared with 25% in those with mild infection. Specifically, the CC genotype was estimated to confer a sixfold greater risk for severe infection than the CT and TT genotypes. More importantly, because the risk genotype occurs with such a high frequency, its effect translates to a large population-attributable risk of 54.3% for severe infection in the Chinese population studied compared with 5.4% in Northern Europeans. Interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 genetic variants could, therefore, have a strong effect of the epidemiology of influenza in China and in people of Chinese descent.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/ncomms2433

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Commun

Publication Date

2013

Volume

4

Keywords

Adult, Alleles, Antibodies, Viral, Asian People, Chemokine CCL2, China, Female, Gene Frequency, Genes, Recessive, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype, Influenza, Human, Male, Membrane Proteins, Models, Genetic, Odds Ratio, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, RNA-Binding Proteins, Severity of Illness Index, Young Adult