Genetic deficiency of chemokine receptor CCR5 is a strong risk factor for symptomatic West Nile virus infection: a meta-analysis of 4 cohorts in the US epidemic

J Infect Dis. 2008 Jan 15;197(2):262-5. doi: 10.1086/524691.

Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV) causes disease in approximately 20% of infected humans. We previously reported that homozygosity for CCR5Delta32, a nonfunctional variant of chemokine receptor CCR5, is markedly increased among symptomatic WNV-seropositive patients from Arizona and Colorado. To confirm this, we analyzed cohorts from California and Illinois. An increase in CCR5-deficient subjects was found in both (for California, odds ratio [OR], 4.2 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.5-11.9] [P= .004]; for Illinois, OR, 3.1 [95% CI, 0.9-11.2] [P= .06]). A meta-analysis of all 4 cohorts showed an OR of 4.2 (95% CI, 2.1-8.3 [P= .0001]). Thus, CCR5 deficiency is a strong and consistent risk factor for symptomatic WNV infection in the United States.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • California / epidemiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Illinois / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Receptors, CCR5 / deficiency*
  • Receptors, CCR5 / genetics
  • Risk Factors
  • West Nile Fever / epidemiology*
  • West Nile Fever / genetics*
  • West Nile Fever / physiopathology
  • West Nile Fever / virology
  • West Nile virus / pathogenicity*

Substances

  • Receptors, CCR5