Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated With Susceptibility To Tuberculosis In An Amerindian Population

SETTING : Cytokines play an important role in anti-tuberculosis immune response, combined with antigen-presenting cells and lymphocytes. Immune response gene polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility in some but not all studies.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of immune response genes with susceptibility to tuberculin skin test (TST) reactivity and/or TB.DESIGN: Fourteen single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped in 96 individuals of the Ache, a native Paraguayan population, by allelic discrimination using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression were employed to assess risk genotypes.RESULTS: A higher prevalence of purified protein derivative reactivity was associated with the TNF-alpha CCA/TCG haplotype (PR 1.298, 95 % CI 1.059-1.589) and with the IL-10 AT/CC diplotype (PR 1.181,95% CI 1.024-1.362), and the presence of the IL-8 rs4073 T allele was associated with protection against TB (PR 0.482, 95%CI 0.273-0.851).CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that polymorphisms in genes associated with immune response are involved in TST reactivity and susceptibility to TB in the Ache population.