@article{c93fab40411311dd9fbe000ea68e967b,
title = "Increased concordance of severe respiratory syncytial virus infection in identical twins",
abstract = "OBJECTIVE: We estimated differences in the severity of respiratory syncytial virus infection attributable to genetic and environmental factors. METHODS: Record linkage data on hospitalizations attributable to respiratory syncytial virus infection were gathered on all twins (12,346 pairs) born in Denmark between 1994 and 2003. Latent-factor models of genetic and environmental effects were fitted to the observed data by using maximal likelihood methods. RESULTS: Identical twins resembled each other significantly more than did fraternal twins for respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization (concordance rate: 0.66 vs 0.53), which suggests genetic influences on disease severity. Genetic factors accounted for 16%, family environment for 73%, and nonshared environment for 11% of the individual susceptibility to develop severe respiratory syncytial virus infection. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of respiratory syncytial virus infection is determined partly by genetic factors. This result should stimulate the search for genetic markers of disease severity.",
keywords = "Age Distribution, Antigens, Viral, Child, Preschool, Confidence Intervals, Denmark, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Incidence, Infant, Male, Probability, Proportional Hazards Models, Registries, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Sex Distribution, Twins, Monozygotic",
author = "Thomsen, {Simon Francis} and Stensballe, {Lone Graff} and Axel Skytthe and Kyvik, {Kirsten Ohm} and Vibeke Backer and Hans Bisgaard",
year = "2008",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1542/peds.2007-1889",
language = "English",
volume = "121",
pages = "493--496",
journal = "Pediatrics",
issn = "0031-4005",
publisher = "American Academy of Pediatrics",
number = "3",
}