Source
Institute of Immunobiology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University St. Kiril and Metodij, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the possible role of 22 cytokine gene polymorphisms in host susceptibility to or protection against tuberculosis (TB) in Macedonians.
METHOD:
301 healthy unrelated individuals and 75 patients with pulmonary TB were studied. Cytokine genotyping was performed by PCR with sequence-specific priming (PCR-SSP) (Heidelberg kit).
RESULTS:
TNF-alpha-238/G, IL-1R psti1970/C, IL-1beta + 3962/T:T, IL-4-1098/T:T, IFNgamma utr5644/A:A, IL-10-1082/G:G, IL-4-590/C:C, IL-10/ATC, IL-4/TCT, IL-4/TCC, IL-10/ATC:GCC, IL-4/TCT:TTT, IL-4/TCC:TTC, IL-10/GCC:GCC and IL-4/TCC:TCC were positively associated with TB, while protective association was identified for IL-4-098/G, IL-1beta + 3962/C, IFNgamma utr5644/T, IL-1beta + 3962/C:T, IL-4-1098/G:T, IL-4-590/C:T, IFNgamma utr5644/A:T, IL-4/GCC, IL-4/TTC and IL-4/GCC:TTC.
CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that some cytokine polymorphisms are significantly associated and affect host susceptibility/resistance to TB in Macedonians.