Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
Open Access

Abstract

Haplotype of the Promoter Region of TNF Gene May Mark Resistance to Tuberculosis in the Amazonas State, Brazil

George Allan Villarouco da Silva, Raphaela Honorato Barletta-Naveca, Brenda Karoline Souza Carvalho, Antonio Luiz Boechat, Rajendranath Ramasawmy and Felipe Gomes Naveca

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is worldwide and keeps on increasing with the appearance of HIV. Host genes involved in the immune response play key role in conveying resistance or susceptibility to TB. We investigated a possible association of the different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in the promoter region of the TNF with either susceptibility or resistance TB. Nucleotide sequencing of the promoter region of TNF encompassing the SNPs –238 G/A, –308 G/A, –857 C/T, –863 A/C and –1031 T/C was performed on 230 TB patients and 293 control subjects. The –863 A/C and –857 C/C genotypes show protection to TB. The –308A allele is associated with protection to TB. Haplotypes analysis revealed that the haplotype –1031T/– 863C/–857C/–308A/–238G is protective to TB (p=0.024). Our data suggests that SNPs present in the promoter region of TNF are associated with resistance to the development of TB.