Rs1049296

rs1049296, also known as Pro570Ser, is best known as the basis for the C1/C2 subtypes of the transferrin TF gene. The rs1049296(C) allele encodes the C1 subtype, and the rarer rs1049296(T) allele encodes the C2 subtype.

Involved in the transport of iron, transferrin and its subtypes have been linked at times to various conditions, perhaps most notably Alzheimer's disease. One meta-analyis of 19 studies with 6310 cases and 13661 controls concluded that the C2 allele, rs1049296(T), was associated with slightly increased risk for Alzheimer's, with odds ratios around 1.1-1.2.

Pathogens may scavenge iron, and the body's attempts to sequester it from such pathogens are a form of defense termed nutritional immunity. One explanation for the presence of the C2 TF subtype in humans is that it may reduce the effectiveness of some bacterial transferrin binding proteins.