HLA alleles and dengue susceptibility across populations in the era of climate change: a comprehensive review.

Dengue, a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes, is an emerging global health threat exacerbated by climate change. Rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns create favourable conditions for vector proliferation and extended transmission periods, increasing the risk of dengue in endemic regions and facilitating its spread to non-endemic areas. Understanding the interplay between critical genetic factors and dengue susceptibility is crucial for developing effective public health strategies. The genes encode proteins essential for an effective immune response against pathogens, and their genetic variations influence susceptibility to severe dengue. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of alleles associated with dengue infection and dengue severity. We analysed 19 case-control studies on dengue infections in populations worldwide to infer associations with various pathological forms of dengue and to examine differences across different populations. Our findings indicate that increases susceptibility to dengue fever (DF), while increases the risk of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF), with these increased susceptibilities primarily observed in Southeast Asian populations. Additionally, is associated with DHF and all symptomatic dengue infections (DEN), contributing to dengue risk in both Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Conversely, and show a protective effect against DHF but show significant regional heterogeneity, highlighting divergent, population-specific susceptibility profiles. This study underscores the importance of population-specific genetic risk assessments for dengue infection and emphasizes the need for targeted medical interventions and improved predictive models to mitigate dengue's impact, especially as climate change accelerates disease spread.