3′UTR polymorphisms in the NRAMP1 gene are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Koreans
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether polymorphisms in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the NRAMP1 gene are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Koreans.
DESIGN: A case-control study design was used to compare the frequency of 3′UTR of NRAMP1 among 192 tuberculosis patients and 192 healthy individuals. All of the samples were diagnosed by X-ray, smear and culture tests between 1998 and 1999 in the Cross of Lorraine Clinic at the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis.
RESULTS: A significant association was found between the Korean tuberculosis patients and polymorphisms in the 3′UTR of the NRAMP1 gene (odds ratio [OR] 1.845; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.097–3.104; χ2 = 5.424; P = 0.020).
CONCLUSION: This study showed that genetic variations in the human NRAMP1 gene are associated with susceptibility to smear-positive tuberculosis in Korean patients. The 3′UTR variant allele associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis is very uncommon in Caucasians, but is present in Koreans and West Africans. These observations may explain in part why African Americans and Koreans have greater susceptibility to tuberculosis than Caucasians.
Keywords: 3′UTR polymorphisms; Koreans; NRAMP1; allelic frequency; susceptibility; tuberculosis
Document Type: Regular Paper
Affiliations: 1: Graduate School of Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea; and Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, Seoul, Korea 2: Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, Seoul, Korea 3: Division of Viral Product, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Korea 4: Graduate School of Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
Publication date: 01 June 2000
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