IFNL4 Genotypes Predict Clearance of RNA Viruses in Rwandan Children With Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

• Published in: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology Vol. 9; p. 340
• Main Authors: Rugwizangoga, Belson, Andersson, Maria E., Kabayiza, Jean-Claude, Nilsson, Malin S., Ármannsdóttir, Brynja, Aurelius, Johan, Nilsson, Staffan, Hellstrand, Kristoffer, Lindh, Magnus, Martner, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 04.10.2019
• Subjects: Cellular and Infection Microbiology; dinucleotide polymorphisms; genetic-variation; hepatitis-c; il28b; Immunologi inom det medicinska området; Immunology; Immunology in the Medical Area; infection; interferon lambda; lambda-s; Microbiology; Microbiology in the Medical Area; Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området; polymorphisms; RNA virus; rs12979860; rs368234815; single nucleotide polymorphisms; tract; upper respiratory; upper respiratory tract; rs12979860; rs368234815; infection; RNA virus; upper respiratory tract; single nucleotide polymorphisms; dinucleotide polymorphisms; interferon lambda
• ISSN: 2235-2988; 2235-2988
• DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00340

Polymorphisms in the interferon lambda gene locus ( ) such as the genetic variants and are predictive of resolution of hepatitis C virus infection, but information about the impact of these variants in other infections is scarce. This study aimed at determining the potential impact of variation for the clearance of respiratory tract pathogens in Rwandan children (≤5 years old, = 480) seeking medical care for acute respiratory infections. Nasopharyngeal swabs were retrieved from all children at the first hospital referral and from 161 children at follow-up visits 2 weeks later. The swabs were analyzed for pathogens by real-time PCR and for host cell genotype at and . Approximately 1/3 of the children were homozygous for the T allele and the ΔG allele, which are overrepresented in subjects of African descent. These variants were significantly associated with reduced clearance of RNA viruses. Our results suggest that genotypes that are common among subjects of African descent may determine inefficacious clearance of RNA viruses from the respiratory tract.