Familial Aggregation and Heritability of Wuchereria bancrofti Infection

Lymphatic Filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a parasitic infection that is spread by mosquitos infected with worm larvae. Several factors will affect the global prevalence of LF in the future. A growing body of evidence suggests that climate change will influence the spread of parasitic diseases and their vectors. Lymphatic filariasis is the leading cause of permanent disfigurement and the second most common cause of long-term disability in the world.

Highlights on the Application of Genomics and Bioinformatics in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities in Africa

Genomics and bioinformatics are increasingly contributing to our understanding of infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum. This ranges from investigations of disease outbreaks and pathogenesis, host and pathogen genomic variation, and host immune evasion mechanisms to identification of potential diagnostic markers and vaccine targets. High throughput genomics data generated from pathogens and animal models can be combined with host genomics and patients’ health records to give advice on treatment options as well as potential drug and vaccine interactions. However, despite accounting for the highest burden of infectious diseases, Africa has the lowest research output on infectious disease genomics. Here we review the contributions of genomics and bioinformatics to the management of infectious diseases of serious public health concern in Africa including tuberculosis (TB), dengue fever, malaria and filariasis. Furthermore, we discuss how genomics and bioinformatics can be applied to identify drug and vaccine targets. We conclude by identifying challenges to genomics research in Africa and highlighting how these can be overcome where possible.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the angiogenic and lymphangiogenic pathways are associated with lymphedema caused by Wuchereria bancrofti

Background

Lymphedema (LE) is a chronic clinical manifestation of filarial nematode infections characterized by lymphatic dysfunction and subsequent accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the interstitial space—lymphatic filariasis. A number of studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with primary and secondary LE. To assess SNPs associated with LE caused by lymphatic filariasis, a cross-sectional study of unrelated Ghanaian volunteers was designed to genotype SNPs in 285 LE patients as cases and 682 infected patients without pathology as controls. One hundred thirty-one SNPs in 64 genes were genotyped. The genes were selected based on their roles in inflammatory processes, angiogenesis/lymphangiogenesis, and cell differentiation during tumorigenesis.

Results

Genetic associations with nominal significance were identified for five SNPs in three genes: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) rs75614493, two SNPs in matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) rs1030868 and rs2241145, and two SNPs in carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM-1) rs8110904 and rs8111171. Pathway analysis revealed an interplay of genes in the angiogenic/lymphangiogenic pathways. Plasma levels of both MMP-2 and CEACAM-1 were significantly higher in LE cases compared to controls. Functional characterization of the associated SNPs identified genotype GG of CEACAM-1 as the variant influencing the expression of plasma concentration, a novel finding observed in this study.

Conclusion

The SNP associations found in the MMP-2, CEACAM-1, and VEGFR-3 genes indicate that angiogenic/lymphangiogenic pathways are important in LE clinical development.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40246-017-0121-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.