Challenges in understanding host genetics and severity of community-acquired pneumonia

A heritable predisposition to early death due to infection was observed three decades ago [1]. Apart from exciting discoveries in the field of primary immunodeficiencies, genetic variants predisposing to severe infection and outcome at a population level remains largely elusive [2, 3]. Genetic association studies on sepsis were largely based on a candidate gene approach. In 2015, Rautanen et al. [4] reported the first Genome wide association study (GWAS) in sepsis. A meta-analysis of three independent cohorts of critically-ill patients with sepsis recruited in numerous centers from Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zeeland and South Africa was performed. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of interest: Dr. SOLE-VIOLAN has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Ms. HERNANDEZ-BRITO has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. VALENCIA-GALLARDO has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Herrera-Ramos has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Borderias reports personal fees, non-financial support and other from GSK, personal fees from Allergy Therapeutics, non-financial support from Novartis, non-financial support from Boehringer, non-financial support from Esteve Teijin, personal fees from Astra Zeneca, non-financial support from Menarini, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: Dra. Briones Urtiaga has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dra. RAJAS has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. FREIXENET has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. LORENTE has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Payeras has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. FERRERES has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dra. CARBONELL has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Ms. Gonzalez-Quevedo has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Sir Gonzalez-Martin has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. Rodriguez de Castro has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: Dr. RODRIGUEZ-GALLEGO has nothing to disclose.