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IFNG and IFNGR1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in Sudan

Abstract

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmanaisis (PKDL) in Sudan is associated with elevated interferon-γ (IFN-γ). To study interferon-γ pathways in PKDL, we genotyped 80 trios from the Masalit ethnic group for polymorphisms at −470 ins/delTT, −270T/C, −56T/C and +95T/C in IFNGR1 and at −179G/A and +874T/A in IFNG. No associations occurred at IFNG. Global association with haplotypes comprising all four markers at IFNGR1 (χ210df=21.97, P=0.015) was observed, associated with a significant (χ21df=4.54, P=0.033) bias in transmission of the haplotype insTT T T T and less (χ21df=5.59, P=0.018) than expected transmission of insTT C C C. When compared with data on malaria associations from Gambia, the results suggest a complex pattern of haplotypic variation at the IFNGR1 promoter locus associated with different infectious disease in African populations that reflect the complex roles of IFN-γ in parasite killing versus inflammation and pathogenesis.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by The Wellcome Trust. We thank the people of El Rugab and Um Salala for their continuing contribution to these studies.

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Correspondence to H S Mohamed.

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1.Stata Version 8.0 (http://www.stata.com/)

2.GenAssoc package (http://www-gene.cimr.cam.ac.uk/clayton/software/stata/)

3.TRANSMIT program (http://www-gene.cimr.cam.ac.uk/clayton/software/)

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Salih, M., Ibrahim, M., Blackwell, J. et al. IFNG and IFNGR1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in Sudan. Genes Immun 8, 75–78 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gene.6364353

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