Why this topic Five years of everyone having an opinion about immunity, and the durable part of it is old: HLA, and why two people meet the same virus and do not get the same illness.
In the news
2026-03-06 · Haapaniemi H, et al., Nature Communications 2026, PMID:41792138
Fungal skin infection runs partly in the genes — HLA among the top signals
Athlete's foot, nail fungus and ringworm affect around 20% of people. A meta-analysis of over 250,000 cases found 30 loci, with HLA-DQB1 among the top signals beside skin-barrier genes and FTO: the host decides as much as the fungus. 19 of its positions have pages on this site.
2026-02-19 · Schmidt A, et al., Nature 2026, PMID:41714741
Host control of persistent Epstein-Barr virus infection
EBV reads pulled out of ordinary blood-based genome sequencing in 486,315 UK Biobank and 336,123 All of Us participants (16.2% and 21.8% positive, tracking viral load in blood cells). Genome-wide: 54 independent HLA alleles in the MHC and 27 regions outside it, with HLA class I burden higher in multiple sclerosis (HLA-A*02:01) and class II in rheumatoid arthritis. Four of the non-MHC positions are on this site: rs13098877 (LPP), rs884186 (KSR1), rs9828869 (near ILDR1), rs34557412 (TNFRSF13B).
2026-08-18 · Frontiers in Immunology 2026, PMID:42682600
An HLA-DQB1 Amino Acid Position Protects Against Silent, Antigen-Negative Hepatitis B Infection
High-resolution HLA genotyping in a Chinese cohort (239 occult hepatitis B cases, 545 healthy controls) found the HLA class II allele DQB1*06:02 protective against occult HBV infection (OBI) -- a form where the virus persists without detectable surface antigen, harder to catch than typical chronic hepatitis B. The protective effect traces largely to position 119 in the HLA-DQB1 peptide-binding groove; conversely, the DRB1*09:01 haplotype was linked to higher infection risk. Another real example of HLA class II shaping whether a hepatitis infection is cleared, persists visibly, or persists silently -- this site's chronic-hepatitis-b page covers the typical chronic form.
From our blog
What this topic connects to
Solid lines are connections this site curates. Dashed lines mean the two ends share a research paper — worth knowing, and not a claim that one explains the other.
Variants that share a paper with this
Counted in Europe PMC, where the title or abstract names both this topic and that rsID. The number is papers, not evidence of a cause.
rs8099917
IL29
Chronic hepatitis C infection
100 papers →rs3077
HLA-DPA1
Hepatitis B
60 papers →rs9277535
HLA-DPB1
Hepatitis B (viral clearance)
55 papers →rs7270101
ITPA
Chronic hepatitis C infection
35 papers →rs2856718
HLA-DQB1
Chronic hepatitis B infection
27 papers →rs17401966
UBE4B
Hepatocellular carcinoma
11 papers →rs1800469
TGFB1
Colorectal cancer
9 papers →rs1799964
HLA-DQA2
Crohn's disease
8 papers →rs3130542
HLA-C
Hepatitis B
6 papers →rs4374383
MERTK
Hepatitis C induced liver fibrosis
6 papers →rs671
ALDH2
Alcohol flush reaction
6 papers →rs10484561
HLA-DQB1
Follicular lymphoma
5 papers →rs1801133
MTHFR
Folate metabolism (MTHFR C677T)
5 papers →rs2282679
GC
Vitamin D levels
5 papers →rs2896019
PARVB
Hematological and biochemical traits
4 papers →rs10846744
SCARB1
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity and mass
3 papers →rs10947262
HLA-DQA2
Knee osteoarthritis
3 papers →rs12075
DARC
Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 levels
3 papers →rs2241880
ATG16L1
Crohn's disease
3 papers →rs2395185
C6orf10
Ulcerative colitis
3 papers →rs2736100
TERT
Lung adenocarcinoma
3 papers →rs3194051
IL7R
Ulcerative colitis
3 papers →rs333
CCR5
HIV-1 resistance (CCR5-delta32)
3 papers →rs7582694
STAT4
Type 1 diabetes
3 papers →rs9366816
HLA-DPA3
Chronic hepatitis B infection
3 papers →rs9461776
HLA-DQA1
Mixed cryoglobulinemia vasculitis in chronic hepatitis C infection
3 papers →rs11209026
IL23R
Crohn's disease
2 papers →rs11889341
STAT4
Systemic lupus erythematosus
2 papers →rs1229984
ADH1B
Alcohol metabolism speed
2 papers →rs16851720
RNF7
Hepatitis C induced liver fibrosis
2 papers →rs1801131
MTHFR
Folate metabolism (MTHFR A1298C)
2 papers →rs1990760
IFIH1
Type 1 diabetes
2 papers →rs2111485
near FAP
Ulcerative colitis
2 papers →rs2736098
ZDHHC11
Pancreatic cancer
2 papers →rs3747517
IFIH1
Psoriasis
2 papers →rs3764147
Unknown
Crohn's disease
2 papers →rs4149056
SLCO1B1
Statin muscle-side-effect risk
2 papers →rs429358
APOE
Lewy body disease
2 papers →rs6568431
PRDM1
Systemic lupus erythematosus
2 papers →rs7000921
INTS10
Persistent hepatitis B virus infection
2 papers →rs73366469
NCF1
Systemic lupus erythematosus
2 papers →rs74989671
FBN2
Systemic lupus erythematosus
2 papers →rs9808753
IFNGR2
Multiple sclerosis
2 papers →rs10069690
TERT
Breast cancer
1 paper →rs1016140
CD58
Systemic lupus erythematosus
1 paper →rs1042034
APOB
Triglycerides
1 paper →rs10488631
TNPO
Systemic sclerosis
1 paper →rs1059513
STAT6
Allergic sensitization
1 paper →rs10911251
LAMC1
Colorectal cancer
1 paper →rs11057830
SCARB1
Vitamin E levels
1 paper →rs11083846
PRKD2
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
1 paper →rs11177
GNL3
Osteoarthritis
1 paper →rs11212617
ATM
Response to metformin in type 2 diabetes (glycemic)
1 paper →rs115231074
HLA-DRB1
Skin and soft tissue Staphylococcus aureus infection
1 paper →rs11672983
KIR2DL1
Inflammatory bowel disease
1 paper →rs11866328
GRIN2A
Hepatitis B
1 paper →rs12356193
SLC16A9
Uric acid levels
1 paper →rs13254990
PVT1
Follicular lymphoma
1 paper →rs1431403
HLA-DPB1
Systemic lupus erythematosus
1 paper →rs16901979
near POU5F1B
Prostate cancer
1 paper →rs173539
CETP
HDL Cholesterol - Triglycerides (HDLC-TG)
1 paper →rs17749561
BCL2
Follicular lymphoma
1 paper →rs1800961
HNF4A
C-reactive protein levels
1 paper →rs1883025
ABCA1
HDL cholesterol
1 paper →rs2000999
HPR
LDL cholesterol
1 paper →rs204999
near PPT2
Serum total protein levels
1 paper →rs2074038
ACCS
IgA nephropathy
1 paper →rs2233287
TNIP1
Systemic sclerosis
1 paper →rs2242652
TERT
Prostate cancer
1 paper →rs2266959
YDJC
Inflammatory bowel disease
1 paper →rs2274223
PLCE1
Esophageal cancer
1 paper →rs2395029
HLA-B
HIV-1 control
1 paper →rs2517532
HLA-C
Hypothyroidism
1 paper →rs267606617
MT-RNR1
Aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss (m.1555A>G)
1 paper →rs2727270
FTH1
Plasma omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels (linoleic acid)
1 paper →rs2857009
C4
Complement C3 and C4 levels
1 paper →rs2858884
HLA-DQA2
Narcolepsy
1 paper →rs3135394
HLA-DRB1
Systemic lupus erythematosus
1 paper →rs3763317
HLA-DRB
Complement C3 and C4 levels
1 paper →rs3764261
CETP
HDL cholesterol
1 paper →rs3792783
TNIP1
Systemic sclerosis
1 paper →rs3807989
CAV1
PR interval
1 paper →rs3829251
NADSYN1
Vitamin D levels
1 paper →rs3830041
NOTCH4
Colorectal cancer
1 paper →rs4488809
TP63
Lung cancer
1 paper →rs4664308
LY75
Idiopathic membranous nephropathy
1 paper →rs4937362
ETS1
Follicular lymphoma
1 paper →rs6265
BDNF
Smoking behavior
1 paper →rs6441286
IL12A
Primary biliary cholangitis
1 paper →rs6511720
LDLR
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity and mass
1 paper →rs6906021
HLA-DQB1
Allergic sensitization
1 paper →rs6983267
POU5F1B
Prostate cancer
1 paper →rs735665
GRAMD1B
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
1 paper →rs7708392
TNIP1
Systemic lupus erythematosus
1 paper →rs7765379
HLA-DQA2
Crohn's disease
1 paper →rs800292
CFH
Circulating myeloperoxidase levels (serum)
1 paper →rs9264942
PSORS1C1
Crohn's disease
1 paper →rs9344
CCND1
Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis
1 paper →rs9939609
FTO
Menarche (age at onset)
1 paper →How this was counted
Europe PMC, title and abstract only, searched for “hepatitis B”, “hepatitis C”, “viral clearance”, “HLA class II” alongside each published rsID. Full text was not counted: it returns every paper with an rsID buried in a supplementary table. Recounted monthly.
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Infection and immunity. MyGeneLog™. https://www.mygenelog.com/topics/infection
Questions about Infection and immunity
What is Infection and immunity?
Infection and immunity is this site's topic page for host-genetics research — whether an infection passes through or stays is decided as much by the host as by the microbe.
Does genetics determine whether an infection clears or becomes chronic?
It contributes, alongside the microbe itself. The host genes involved are usually the ones that show the immune system what it is fighting — HLA in particular — which is why two people can meet the same virus and not get the same illness.
Why is infection and immunity a topic on this site now?
Five years passed with everyone having an opinion about immunity, and the durable part of that conversation turned out to be an old one: HLA, and why identical exposures do not produce identical illness.
How does this site decide which variants are linked to infection and immunity?
Europe PMC is searched for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, viral clearance or HLA class II appearing in a paper's title or abstract alongside a published rsID, recounted every month.