title: Association of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon gamma gene polymorphisms and their plasma levels in leprosy, HIV and other peripheral neuropathies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mycobacterium leprae and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are causative agents known to be involved in nerve damage in leprosy and HIV-peripheral neuropathy (HIV-PN) respectively. Among other peripheral neuropathies the most common is diabetic neuropathy, which is metabolically induced. The proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ have been implicated in the pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathy. The association between the plasma levels of these cytokines and their single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were investigated in leprosy neuropathy (LN), HIV-PN and other peripheral neuropathies (OPN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight individuals with LN (PB=36; MB=52), 39 with HIV-PN, 52 patients with OPN, 101 HIV positive individuals without neuropathy (HIV) and 113 healthy subjects (HS) were included in the study. Plasma cytokine levels were measured by sandwich ELISA and one way ANOVA was carried out among the groups. SNPs of TNF-α- 308 G/A, -238 G/A and IFN-γ +874 T/A were investigated by amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Their frequencies were compared between groups by Pearson's chi squared test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma TNF-α and IFN-γ was significantly increased in LN (p<0.05), HIV-PN (p<0.05) and OPN (p<0.05) as compared to HS. A significant association was found between IFN-γ +874 A/A genotype in LN (p<0.05; OR=7.9), HIV-PN (p<0.05; OR=8.9) and OPN (p<0.05; OR=8.9) as compared to HS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated levels of plasma TNF-α and IFN-γ and the association of IFN-γ +874 A/A genotype SNP in LN, HIV-PN and OPN suggests a common involvement of these cytokines in susceptibility/pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: CODEWEL Nireekshana-ACET, Hyderabad, Telangana 500029, India; Centre for Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 522510, India.
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sykam
authors.affiliation: CODEWEL Nireekshana-ACET, Hyderabad, Telangana 500029, India; Centre for Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 522510, India.
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Gutlapalli
authors.affiliation: CODEWEL Nireekshana-ACET, Hyderabad, Telangana 500029, India; Centre for Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 522510, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Tenali
authors.affiliation: Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Punjagutta, Hyderabad, Telangana 500082, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.affiliation: Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Punjagutta, Hyderabad, Telangana 500082, India.
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chandran
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana 500058, India.
authors.forename: D V S
authors.initials: DVS
authors.lastname: Pratap
authors.affiliation: CODEWEL Nireekshana-ACET, Hyderabad, Telangana 500029, India.
authors.forename: Sujai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suneetha
authors.affiliation: CODEWEL Nireekshana-ACET, Hyderabad, Telangana 500029, India. Electronic address: drlavanyasuneetha@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lavanya M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Suneetha
mesh_terms: D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D007918:Leprosy / Q000097:blood*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: HIV-peripheral neuropathy; IFN-gamma; Leprosy; Single nucleotide polymorphisms; TNF-alpha