TNF-A-308 G/A POLYMORPHISM AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TUBERCULOSIS IN AZERI POPULATION OF IRAN

Abstract

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytokine genes may alter the level and function of secreted cytokine; therefore, SNPs can influence the immune response. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of TNF-alpha -308G/A single nucleotide polymorphism in tuberculosis patients in the Azeri population of Iran. The TNF-308G/A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region was genotyped by using the allele-specific PCR method in 200 healthy controls and 124 tuberculosis patients. The distribution of allele frequencies for TNF-alpha -308G/A polymorphism between control and tuberculosis patient groups was not significant (P-value = 0.058, OR = 1.5). Furthermore, no statistically significant association was found between TNF-alpha -308G/A genotype and resistance/susceptibility to TB (P-value = 0.102). Our results suggest that TNF-alpha -308G/A polymorphism has no measurable effect on the development of tuberculosis in Azeri population of Iran.