Linking Host Genomics with Disease Surveillance
Author Information
Author(s): Crawford Dana C., Zimmer Shanta M., Morin Craig A., Messonnier Nancy E., Lynfield Ruth, Yi Qian, Shephard Cynthia, Wong Michelle, Rieder Mark J., Livingston Robert J., Nickerson Deborah A., Whitney Cynthia G., Lingappa Jairam
Primary Institution: Vanderbilt University
Hypothesis
Can integrating host genomics with bacterial disease surveillance help identify genetic risk factors for invasive bacterial diseases?
Conclusion
The study successfully linked a surveillance system with genetic data to identify potential genetic risk factors for meningococcal disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Host genetic factors may help predict susceptibility to infectious diseases.
- ABCs data were evaluated to identify cases of invasive encapsulated bacterial infection.
- Genomic DNA was amplified from newborn dried blood spots for genetic analysis.
- An association was found between SNP 6420 and case status for N. meningitidis.
Takeaway
The researchers looked at blood samples from babies to find out if certain genes make them more likely to get sick from a specific bacteria.
Methodology
The study cross-referenced data from a bacterial disease surveillance system with a newborn blood sample repository to identify cases and controls for genetic analysis.
Potential Biases
The study may have risks of bias due to the lack of diverse participant demographics and potential confounding factors.
Limitations
The study was primarily conducted on a cohort of European descent and was not adjusted for multiple comparisons.
Participant Demographics
The cohort primarily consisted of children under 5 years of age, with a majority being of European descent.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0176
Confidence Interval
0.99–19.30
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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