The Role of Host Genetics in Susceptibility to Influenza: A Systematic Review

Background: The World Health Organization has identified studies of the role of host genetics on susceptibility to severe influenza as a priority. A systematic review was conducted to summarize the current state of evidence on the role of host genetics in susceptibility to influenza (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42011001380). Methods and Findings: PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and OpenSIGLE were searched using a pre-defined strategy for all entries up to the date of the search. Two reviewers independently screened the title and abstract of 1,371 unique articles, and 72 full text publications were selected for inclusion. Mouse models clearly demonstrate that host genetics plays a critical role in susceptibility to a range of human and avian influenza viruses. The Mx genes encoding interferon inducible proteins are the best studied but their relevance to susceptibility in humans is unknown. Although the MxA gene should be considered a candidate gene for further study in humans, over 100 other candidate genes have been proposed. There are however no data associating any of these candidate genes to susceptibility in humans, with the only published study in humans being under-powered. One genealogy study presents moderate evidence of a heritable component to the risk of influenza-associated death, and while the marked familial aggregation of H5N1 cases is suggestive of host genetic factors, this remains unproven. Conclusion: The fundamental question ‘‘Is susceptibility to severe influenza in humans heritable?’ ’ remains unanswered. No

PHASE EQUILIBRIA FOR HIGHLY UN-SYMMETRICAL PLASMAS AND ELECTROLYTES

The conclusion of classical Debye-Huckel theory that a phase separation may occur in highly unsymmetrical plasmas or electrolytes is shown to be false and to arise from a serious error in the treatment of the interaction of pairs of the most highly charged ions. After an approximate correction for this error, no phase separation is predicted. Specific application to iron in the solar plasmas is discussed

Dielectric constant of water at very high temperature and pressure

Pertinent statistical mechanical theory is combined with the available measurements of the dielectric constant of water at high temperature and pressure to predict that property at still higher temperature. The dielectric constant is needed in connection with studies of electrolytes such as NaCl/H(2)O at very high temperature