Influence of TNF and IL10 gene polymorphisms in the immunopathogenesis of leprosy in the south of Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether cytokine polymorphisms are associated with leprosy and/or their subtypes in a Brazilian population.


METHODS
Genotyping using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) was performed for: TNF(-308/-238), IL2(-330/+166), IL6(-174), IFNG(+874), TGFB1(+869/+915), and IL10(-592/-819/-1082) in 240 healthy controls and 167 patients with leprosy.


RESULTS
For TNF(-308), a higher frequency of GG genotype (85.5% vs. 74.1% in healthy controls, p = 0.009), along with a decreased frequency of GA/AA genotypes was observed among leprosy patients as compared to the control group (14.5% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.009). The GG genotype was particularly higher in patients with tuberculoid (TT) and borderline (BB) leprosy (90.5% and 89.8%, respectively). Analysis of IL10 genotypes revealed a lower frequency of GCC/GCC haplotype in lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients (6.2%) in comparison to controls (15.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that the G-->A substitution at position -308 in the TNF promoter region plays an important role in leprosy patients.
Franceschi
Danilo Santana Alessio
DS
Laboratório de Imunogenética, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Maringá, PR, CEP 87020-900, Brazil.
Mazini
Priscila Saamara
PS
Rudnick
Cristiane Conceição Chagas
CC
Sell
Ana Maria
AM
Tsuneto
Luiza Tamie
LT
Ribas
Maria Lúcia
ML
Peixoto
Paulo Roberto
PR
Visentainer
Jeane Eliete Laguila
JE
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012016:Reference Values; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10