Association of CTSZ rs34069356 and MC3R rs6127698 gene polymorphisms with pulmonary tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible association between cathepsin Z (CTSZ) rs34069356 C/T (Ala286Thr) and melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) rs6127698 G>T (-484 G/T) gene polymorphisms and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in an Iranian sample population. DESIGN: This case-control study included 150 PTB patients and 177 healthy subjects. Tetra amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect polymorphisms. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the MC3R rs6127698 TT genotype increased the risk of PTB compared with GG (additive model: OR 2.24, 95%CI 1.13-4.64, P = 0.021) as well as GG+GT (recessive model: OR 1.89, 95%CI 1.13-3.18, P = 0.016). The rs6127698 T allele increased the risk of PTB (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.14-2.13, P = 0.005) compared to the G allele. The CTSZ rs34069356 polymorphism was not associated with PTB in additive-, dominant- and recessive-tested inheritance models (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that MC3R rs6127698, but not CTSZ rs34069356 polymorphism, is associated with PTB in a sample Iranian population.

Association between the CD14 gene C-159T polymorphism and serum soluble CD14 with pulmonary tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Functional C-159T polymorphism in the promoter region of the CD14 lipopolysaccharide receptor has been reported to be associated with the development of tuberculosis (TB). OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of CD14 C-159T polymorphism and serum soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in an Iranian population living in a TB-endemic area. DESIGN: A case-control study was performed prospectively on 120 newly diagnosed pulmonary TB patients and 131 healthy subjects. C-159T polymorphism was performed using amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Concentrations of sCD14 were measured in serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of C-159T polymorphism differed significantly between TB patients and controls (P = 0.006). The risk of TB was 2.3-fold greater in individuals with the T-allele (CT + TT) in comparison to those without (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.2-4.3, P = 0.006). Mean total sCD14 was significantly increased in the serum of patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary TB (mean ± SD = 3177 ± 751 ng/ml) compared to healthy controls (mean ± SD = 2955 ± 424 ng/ml, P < 0.004). CONCLUSION: These data indicate that the C-159T polymorphism of the CD14 gene is associated with TB; serum sCD14 levels were higher in TB patients in a sample of the Iranian population.

R620W functional polymorphism of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 is not associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in Zahedan, southeast Iran.

The protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene, which encodes an intracellular lymphoid-specific phosphatase, is considered an important regulator of T-cell activation. We investigated a possible association between the PTPN22 C1858T (R620W) polymorphism and pulmonary tuberculosis in an Iranian population. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of PTPN22 C1858T (rs2476601) were genotyped in 172 pulmonary tuberculosis cases and 204 normal subjects from Zaheden, Iran. Frequencies of genotypes CC, CT and TT of the PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism were 98.3, 1.7 and 0% in the pulmonary tuberculosis patients, and 96.1, 3.9 and 0% in the control group, respectively (P = 0.239). The frequency of the minor (T) allele was 0.8% in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 2.0% in controls. Significant differences were not observed in genotype or allele frequencies of PTPN22 C1858T in the comparison between pulmonary tuberculosis patients and healthy subjects in our Iranian population sample.

Lack of association between rs1024611 (-2581 A/G) polymorphism in CC-chemokine Ligand 2 and susceptibility to pulmonary Tuberculosis in Zahedan, Southeast Iran.

Approximately 5-10% of subjects infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis develop active tuberculosis. It has been proposed that genetic factors determine the host's vulnerability to tuberculosis. Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), commonly known as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), plays a key role in protective immunity against M. tuberculosis. The present study was aimed to determine if there was an association between -2581 A/G single nucleotide polymorphism of CCL2 and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in a sample of Iranian subjects. This case-control study was performed on 142 PTB and 166 healthy subjects. The polymorphism of CCL2 (rs1024611) was determined using tetra amplification refractory mutational system-polymerase chain reaction (tetra ARMS-PCR). There were no significant differences between PTB patients and control subjects regarding -2581 A/G single nucleotide polymorphism of CCL2. In conclusion, our results do not support an association of -2581 A/G polymorphism of CCL2 with PTB susceptibility.

Functional polymorphism of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) gene +874T/A polymorphism is associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in Zahedan, Southeast Iran.

Concerning the key role of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in the protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we aimed to find the possible association between single nucleotide polymorphism of IFN-γ +874T/A (rs61923114) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This case-control study was performed on 142 PTB patients and 166 healthy subjects. Genotype analysis was done using amplification refractory mutation system-PCR (ARMS-PCR). We found that the AA genotype of +874A/T IFN-γ is a risk factor for PTB (OR = 3.333, 95% CI = 1.537-7.236, p=0.002). The results showed that the +874A allele frequency was higher in PTB than in normal subjects (OR = 1.561, 95% CI = 1.134-2.480, p=0.007). In conclusion, significant association was found between the IFN-γ +874T/A polymorphism (rs61923114) and susceptibility to PTB in a sample of Iranian population.

Co-infection of Malaria and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.

Southeast of Iran is an endemic area for Malaria and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). In 1999, we faced with an outbreak of CCHF in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, in the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The most cases of Malaria in Iran are also reported from this area. This article presents a 17-year- old woman who admitted to our hospital because of acute fever, headache, epistaxis, hemorrhagic lesions on the skin and vaginal bleeding. Finally, she was recognized as a case that was co -infected with CCHF and malaria.

Glutaraldehyde test for rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of blood glutaraldehyde gelification time in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). DESIGN: We analysed the blood gelification time using 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 83 PTB patients, 46 patients with non-tuberculosis pulmonary disease and 43 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The mean gelification time of PTB patients (556.9 +/- 122.4) is significantly less than non-tuberculosis pulmonary disease (708.0 +/- 100.5) and healthy subjects (821.2 +/- 138.3; P < 0.0001). The optimum cut-off point was 615 seconds by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were respectively 85.5%, 89.1%, 93.4% and 77.3% in distinguishing TB from non-PTB patients; and respectively 85.5%, 93.3%, 92.2% and 87.4% in distinguishing PTB patients from controls (non-PTB patients and healthy subjects). CONCLUSION: Because many centres lack sputum culture capacity and sophisticated radiology facilities, the glutaraldehyde test in conjunction with other conventional methods of diagnosis (sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli and frontal chest X-ray) could be a rapid, easy, cost-effective and reliable test for the diagnosis of PTB.