Abstract: | Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1/solute carrier family 11 member 1
gene (Nramp1/Slc11a1) is a gene that controls the susceptibility of
inbred mice to intracellular pathogens. Polymorphisms in the human
Slc11a1/Nramp1 gene have been associated with host susceptibility
to leprosy. This study has evaluated nine polymorphisms of the
Slc11a1/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 19
patients had the multibacillary and the paucibacillary clinical forms of the disease,
respectively), and 239 healthy controls matched by age, gender, and ethnicity. The
frequency 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 the
control 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), such
as the 469+14C allele (p = 0.03; OR = 1.53) of the 274C/T and 469+14G/C
polymorphisms, respectively, were more frequent in the leprosy group. The leprosy and
control 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 the
469+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 were
associated with susceptibility and protection to leprosy, respectively. |