Haptoglobin polymorphism and mortality in patients with tuberculosis.
METHODS
A rural Zimbabwean hospital and the surrounding community.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a particular haptoglobin phenotype is associated with increased susceptibility to clinical pulmonary tuberculosis, and to determine the outcome of treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis according to haptoglobin phenotype.


METHODS
A case-control study, and a prospective cohort study.


RESULTS
We studied 98 consecutive patients with sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis and 98 sex- and age-matched controls. The haptoglobin (Hp) phenotype distributions did not differ significantly between the tuberculosis patients and controls (P = 0.5). During the 18-month follow-up period after the start of tuberculosis treatment, 6/18 (33%) cases with Hp 2-2 phenotype died compared to 9/47 (19%) with Hp 2-1 and 3/31 (10%) with Hp 1-1. In a logistic regression model, the odds of dying were 6.1-fold greater with Hp 2-2 than with Hp 1-1 (95%CI 1.04-35.1, P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that there is equal susceptibility to clinical pulmonary tuberculosis disease amongst different haptoglobin phenotypes. Nonetheless, tuberculosis patients with Hp 2-2 phenotype had a higher risk of mortality.
Kasvosve
I
I
Department of Medicine, Medical School, The University of Zimbabwe, Avondale, Harare.
Gomo
Z A
ZA
Mvundura
E
E
Moyo
V M
VM
Saungweme
T
T
Khumalo
H
H
Gordeuk
V R
VR
Boelaert
J R
JR
Delanghe
J R
JR
De Bacquer
D
D
Gangaidzo
I T
IT
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012424:Rural Population; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
D006242:Haptoglobins