title: Interleukin 4 (IL-4) gene promoter polymorphisms in Rhombomys opimus, the main reservoir of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: Great gerbils (Rhombomys opimus) are the most common gerbils in center to northeast of Iran as well as central Asia and serve as reservoirs for the zoonotic agents, including Leishmania major, the principal etiologic agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). The outcome of L. major infection in gerbils is not uniform. Among several immune-related factors including cytokine genes, the polymorphism in interleukin 4 (IL-4) promoter gene showed a great impact on outcome and pathological symptoms of L. major infection at least in mouse model. In this study gerbils' IL-4 promoter gene polymorphism is assessed. Specific primers were designed to develop a PCR-based assay to amplify IL-4 promoter gene to possibly define IL-4 promoter gene polymorphism in great gerbil populations with a range of Leishmania infection and symptoms collected from different foci of the central, north and northeast regions of Iran. The results showed that the designed primers amplify 689bp of the promoter gene. Sequence analysis of the promoter gene revealed five polymorphic sites assembly six haplotypes among the gerbil populations. Further studies are needed to assess whether or not the five polymorphisms cause different outcome phenotypes following infection with L. major in great gerbils. The data might be used to characterize the immune responses of R. opimus against L. major infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bakhshi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borhani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebali
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khamesipour
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Abai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hajjaran
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tajedin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rassi
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Akhavan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohtarami
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oshaghi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000235:genetics*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4
keywords: Interleukin 4 (IL-4) gene; Polymorphism; Rhombomys opimus; Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL)