Interferon-γ gene and interferon-γ receptor-1 gene polymorphisms in children with tuberculosis from Turkey

Abstract

Macrophage activation by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is important in host resistance to tuberculosis (TB). In this study, the relationships of the +874 T/A polymorphism in the first intron of the IFN-γ gene and intronic (CA)n polymorphic microsatellite marker of the interferon-γ receptor 1 (IFN-γR1) gene to TB susceptibility were investigated in children. Forty children with TB and 67 age-matched controls were included. There were no significant differences between the allele frequencies and genotype frequencies of patient and control groups for the polymorphism +874 T/A in the IFN-γ gene. Differences that were not statistically significant were found between the group of children with TB and the control group for the allelic markers (170 and 180) in the IFN-γR1 gene. The incidence of the allele 170 was higher in patients (30.9%) than in controls (17.4%), whereas the allele 180 was found to be more common in controls (9% vs 1.2%). In conclusion, no significant association was observed between the +874 T/A polymorphism found in the first exon of the IFN-γ gene and TB susceptibility in Turkish children.

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by Ege University Science and Technology Centre (EBILTEM; Project No. 2007-GHUM-06). Ege University Research Ethics Committee approved the project (Ethical Approval No. 05-7/3-560-561).

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.