Epidemiologic association between FUT2 secretor status and severe rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in the United States

DC Payne, RL Currier, MA Staat, LC Sahni… - JAMA …, 2015 - jamanetwork.com
Importance A genetic polymorphism affectingFUT2secretor status in approximately one-
quarter of humans of European descent affects the expression of histo-blood group antigens
on the mucosal epithelia of human respiratory, genitourinary, and digestive tracts. These
histo-blood group antigens serve as host receptor sites necessary for attachment and
infection of some pathogens, including norovirus. Objective We investigated whether an
association exists betweenFUT2secretor status and laboratory-confirmed rotavirus infections …