NRAMP1 and TNF-α polymorphisms and susceptibility to tuberculosis in Thais

Abstract

Objective and background: Polymorphisms in the natural resistance- associated macrophage protein gene 1 (NRAMP1) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α gene have been found to be associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in different populations. However, the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to determine whether NRAMP1 and TNF-α variants are associated with tuberculosis in Thais. Methods: Polymorphisms of NRAMP1 at INT4, D543N and the 3′ untranslated region, and of TNF-α at +488, -238, and -308, were examined in 149 tuberculosis patients and 147 healthy controls. PCR using sequence-specific oligonucleotides and sequence-specific priming were used to genotype the NRAMP1 and TNF polymorphisms, respectively. Results: There were no significant differences in the distribution of the genotype frequencies for the NRAMP1 and TNF-α polymorphisms between the patients and controls. Conclusions: The NRAMP1 and TNF-α genes are not associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Thais. © 2007 The Authors.