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Human genetics influences the clinical expression of many infections. Investigators recently performed a genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with severe falciparum malaria (SM).
Genotyping was performed for 1325 patients with SM (Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia —manifested as severe anemia or cerebral malaria — as well as concomitant acidosis, respiratory distress, or both) and 828 unaffected controls, all in Ghana. In addition, genotype data were examined for 174 individuals of African descent who were included in the 2010–08 release of the 1,000 Genomes Project, yielding a total of >5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for further analysis.
The researchers identified potentially relevant SNPs …