| Abstract: | Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1/solute carrier family 11 member 1gene (Nramp1/Slc11a1) is a gene that controls the susceptibility ofinbred mice to intracellular pathogens. Polymorphisms in the humanSlc11a1/Nramp1 gene have been associated with host susceptibilityto leprosy. This study has evaluated nine polymorphisms of theSlc11a1/Nramp1 gene [(GT)n, 274C/T, 469+14G/C, 577-18G/A, 823C/T,1029 C/T, 1465-85G/A, 1703G/A, and 1729+55del4] in 86 leprosy patients (67 and 19patients had the multibacillary and the paucibacillary clinical forms of the disease,respectively), and 239 healthy controls matched by age, gender, and ethnicity. Thefrequency of allele 2 of the (GT)n polymorphism was higher in leprosy patients [p =0.04, odds ratio (OR) = 1.49], whereas the frequency of allele 3 was higher in thecontrol group (p = 0.03; OR = 0.66). Patients carrying the 274T allele (p= 0.04; OR = 1.49) and TT homozygosis (p = 0.02; OR = 2.46), suchas the 469+14C allele (p = 0.03; OR = 1.53) of the 274C/T and 469+14G/Cpolymorphisms, respectively, were more frequent in the leprosy group. The leprosy andcontrol groups had similar frequency of the 577-18G/A, 823C/T, 1029C/T, 1465-85G/A,1703G/A, and 1729+55del4 polymorphisms. The 274C/T polymorphism in exon 3 and the469+14G/C polymorphism in intron 4 were associated with susceptibility to leprosy,while the allele 2 and 3 of the (GT)n polymorphism in the promoter region wereassociated with susceptibility and protection to leprosy, respectively. |
