title: Association between the IFNG +874A/T gene polymorphism and leprosy resistance: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Previous studies identified the variant IFNG +874A/T (rs2430561) in the first intron of the gene in association with mycobacterial infection, especially tuberculosis and leprosy. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the protective role of the T allele in relation to leprosy using a meta-analysis evaluation. Thus, 1573 patients and 1914 controls were included and analyzed in fixed effects model. The T allele is associated with a protective effect for leprosy under the dominant model (pooled OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.72-0.96, p=0.011) suggesting that carriers of the IFNG +874T allele may be protected from developing leprosy. The T allele has been suggested to correlate with high interferon-γ levels. A phenotype with high IFN-γ producing and an increased inflammatory profile may account for these findings. This meta-analysis suggests that IFNG +874T allele is associated with leprosy resistance.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Electronic address: george_silva@amazonia.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: G A V
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fiocruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Naveca
authors.affiliation: Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil; Universidade Nilton Lins, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramasawmy
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Boechat
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D060467:Disease Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D017594:Publication Bias
chemical_list: C573415:IFNG protein, human; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Genetic resistance; IFNG +874; Leprosy; Meta-analysis; Polymorphism