In people with predisposing lung diseases—such as persistent asthma or cystic fibrosis (or rarer diseases such as chronic granulomatous disease or Hyper-IgE syndrome)—several factors lead to an increased risk of ABPA. These include immune factors (such as atopy or immunogenic HLA-restricted phenotypes), as well as genetic factors (such as CFTR gene mutations in both asthmatics and cystic fibrosis patients and a ZNF77 mutation resulting in a premature stop codon in asthmatics and ABPA patients). By allowing "Aspergillus" spores to persist in pulmonary tissues, it permits successful germination which leads to hyphae growing in mucus plugs.