Genetic variation that predicts white blood count (WBC) and it differential, a marker of the health of the immune system.
WBC is unique among the identified inflammatory predictors of chronic disease in that it has been routinely measured in healthy patients in an unbiased way for the duration of the electronic medical record data.
We propose to lead an analysis of genetic variation that predicts WBC and its differential. As well as being a marker of the health of the immune system, WBC is emerging as a risk factor for chronic diseases, including vascular disease and renal failure. GWAS of total WBC and its differential counts (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocyte, and lymphocytes) can identify genes that predict WBC as the end result of a variety of inflammatory pathways. There is increasing focus on atherosclerosis as an inflammatory disorder.
