Immunogenetic Variability Associated with Different Susceptibility Patterns to Candida and Aspergillus Infections

Fungal infections remain a serious clinical problem with a high disease and financial burden, especially among immunocompromised and critically ill patients. Numerous efforts have not fully identified clinical and laboratory risk factors for increased susceptibility to fungal infections. The recent acquisition of knowledge about innate immune responses to fungi and genetic alterations in immunologic mechanisms has revealed additional genetic risk factors and has shed more light on the predisposition of individuals to fungal infections. The aim of this review is to address the findings of recent studies associating genetic factors with susceptibility to fungal infections, focusing on the most common opportunistic fungi, Candida and Aspergillus species.