Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein-1 gene polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in sudanese patients

Abstract

Genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis has been investigated worldwide, however a few studies conducted in Sudanese patients. Polymorphisms in NRAMP1 have shown an important association with susceptibility to tuberculosis and progression to active disease. However, whether there is an association of these polymorphisms with pulmonary tuberculosis among Sudanese patients is not investigated yet. The aim of this study was to determine the association of NRAMP1 polymorphisms with development of pulmonary tuberculosis in Sudanese subjects with pulmonary tuberculosis. A case-controls study (100 in each arm) was conducted at Al-Shaab Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan during the period of March through September 2017. Genotyping for NRAMP1 (rs3731865) INTR4 and (rs17235409) D543N was done by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).There was no significant difference in the mean± SD of the age and body mass index (BMI) between the cases (tuberculosis) and the controls [37.7 ± 4.1 vs. 35.9 ± 3.9 years; P=0.702] and [24.6 ± 1.9 vs. 24.7 ± 2.1; P=0.444], respectively. None of the genotype frequencies investigated in the two polymorphisms were associated with the development of pulmonary tuberculosis. There was a significant association with the development of tuberculosis with illiteracy P=<0.001. Gene polymorphisms of NRAMP1 (rs3731865) INTR4 and (rs17235409) D543N were not associated with pulmonary tuberculosis development in this setting. Further study is needed with larger sample size and different design and settings. Increase public awareness about tuberculosis infections and specially in those who are illiterate.