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Association of interferon gamma and interleukin 10 genes with tuberculosis in Hong Kong Chinese.

Tso HW, Ip WK, Chong WP, Tam CM, Chiang AK, Lau YL

Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Jockey Club Clinical Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR.

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) are believed to play opposing roles in host immunity against mycobacterial infection. IFN-gamma activates macrophages, while IL-10 downregulates the expression of T helper type 1 cytokines, MHC class II antigens and costimulatory molecules on macrophages. Associations of IFN-gamma -179 (G/T), +874 (A/T), +875 miscrosatellite CA repeats and +4766 (C/T), and IL-10 -1082 (A/G), -819 (C/T) and -592 (C/A) with tuberculosis (TB) were investigated in 385 HIV-negative patients and 451 controls in a Hong Kong Chinese population. The frequency of a low IFN-gamma-producing +874 A/A genotype was significantly over-represented in the patient group (P<0.001, OR=3.79, 95% CI=1.93-7.45). We identified 10 alleles in the IFN-gamma CA repeats and observed a significant difference in allele frequency distribution between patients and controls (P<0.001). By grouping alleles into 12 and non-12 CA repeats, the non-12/non-12 genotype yielded a similar significant result (P<0.001, OR=4.56, 95% CI=2.21-9.43) as observed in +874 A/A genotype. Weak associations of the IL-10 GCC/- genotype (P=0.04) and the low IFN-gamma-producing A/A genotype (P=0.06) with TB relapse/extrapulmonary cases were found. This study suggests the possible role of interferon gamma in TB susceptibility.

Published 1 June 2005 in Genes Immun, 6(4): 358-63.
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