Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2003 - Volume 130, Issue 03  


Sibling familial risk ratio of meningococcal disease in UK Caucasians

E. HARALAMBOUS a1c1, H. A. WEISS a2, A. RADALOWICZ a2, M. L. HIBBERD a1, R. BOOY a3 and M. LEVIN a1
a1 Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Norfolk Place, Paddington, London W2 1PG, UK
a2 MRC Tropical Epidemiology Group, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
a3 Department of Child Health, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, Barts and the London, Whitechapel, Stepney Way, London E1 1BB, UK

Article author query
haralambous e   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
weiss h   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
radalowicz a   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
hibberd m   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
booy r   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
levin m   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

To quantify the host genetic component of meningococcal disease (MD) susceptibility, the sibling risk ratio (λs) was calculated as the ratio of observed MD cases among 845 siblings of 443 UK Caucasian cases to that expected, calculated from age-calendar year specific rates for England and Wales. Twenty-seven siblings contracted MD compared with an expected 0·89, generating a λs value of 30·3. Overestimation of λs due to Neisseria meningitidis exposure was minimized by excluding siblings with MD onset within set time points of the index case. Irrespective of whether siblings contracted MD more than 1, 3, 6, 9 or 12 months after the index case, the λs varied slightly (λs range: 8·2–11·9), suggesting that host genetic factors may contribute approximately one third of the total λs. Social class distribution did not differ between MD cases and the general population of England and Wales. This study is the first to calculate λs for MD and establishes that susceptibility to MD has a significant host genetic component.

(Accepted January 30 2003)


Correspondence:
c1 Author for correspondence.

Metrics
Related Content