title: Interferon-gamma receptor-1 gene polymorphism in tuberculosis patients from Croatia.
abstract: Recent studies have indicated that the interleukin-12/interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) axis is important in mycobacterial infection susceptibility. Using an intronic (CA)n polymorphic microsatellite marker within the IFN-gamma receptor-1 (IFNGR1) gene, we have compared the allelic frequencies of this marker in hospitalized tuberculosis patients (n = 120) with that of controls (n = 87) from Rijeka, Croatia. We identified 13 (CA)n alleles in the tuberculosis patients, whereas only 10 were found in the controls. A significant difference between one allelic marker and the control group was observed (P = 0.02, 95% confidence interval 0.14-0.94), suggesting a possible protective association. In contrast, several other allelic markers showed a trend towards association with the disease. We also found a trend towards an increased frequency in homozygosity of one allelic marker in patients (11.7%) as compared with controls (4.6%). We conclude that there is no evidence for disease association of the IFNGR1 gene marker in Mendelian-type (single-allele) inheritance. However, our results also suggest that unidentified allelic variations in the IFNGR1 gene might elevate or decrease the risk in this ethnic population, as a part of the multigenic predisposition to tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Department of Oral Biology, University in Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bulat-Kardum
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knezevic
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Babarovic
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matakovic-Mileusnic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dellacasagrande
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matanic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavelic
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Beg-Zec
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dembic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
chemical_list: D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor