Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in cellular viral receptors and attachment factor-related genes and humoral immunity to rubella vaccination.

BACKGROUND

Viral attachment and cell entry host factors are important for viral replication, pathogenesis, and the generation and sustenance of immune responses after infection and/or vaccination, and are plausible genetic regulators of vaccine-induced immunity.

METHODS

Using a tag-SNP approach in candidate gene study, we assessed the role of selected cell surface receptor genes, attachment factor-related genes, along with other immune genes in the genetic control of immune response variations after live rubella vaccination in two independent study cohorts.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed evidence for multiple associations between genetic variants in the PVR, PVRL2, CD209/DC-SIGN, RARB, MOG, IL6 and other immune function-related genes and rubella-specific neutralizing antibodies after vaccination (meta p-value <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that multiple SNPs from genes involved in cell adhesion, viral attachment, and viral entry, as well as others in genes involved in signaling and/or immune response regulation, play a role in modulating humoral immune responses following live rubella vaccination.