title: IFN-gamma and TNF associated with severe falciparum malaria infection in Saudi pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ), encoded by TNF-836 C/A (rs 1800630) and IFN-γ -1616 C/T (rs2069705) genes, are key immunological mediators that are believed to both play protective and pathological roles in malaria. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between TNF-836 C/A and IFN-γ-1616 C/T polymorphism and susceptibility to severe malaria in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort (cross-sectional) study was conducted in pregnant women attending the out-patient clinic in King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Jazan (KFSHJ), with a clinical diagnosis of malaria. A total of one hundred and eighty six pregnant women were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for TNF and IFN-γ using Taqman® MGB Probes. Serum cytokine concentrations were measured by sandwich ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A hospital case-control study of severe malaria in a Saudi population identified strong associations with individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the TNF and IFN-γ genes, and defined TNF-836 C and IFN-γ-1616 T genotypes and alleles which were statistically significantly associated with severe malaria infection. Furthermore, TNF-836 CC and IFN-γ-1616 TT genotypes were associated with higher serum concentration of TNF and IFN-γ, respectively, and with susceptibility to severe malaria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This data provides a starting point for functional and genetic analysis of the TNF and IFN-γ genomic region in malaria infection affecting Saudi populations.
authors.forename: Amre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Taif University, PO Box 888, Taif, Saudi Arabia. gm_allam@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Gamal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Allam
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hamid
authors.forename: Abdelhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Ghamdi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma