Author/Authors :
Hajilooi، Mehrdad نويسنده , , Lotfi، Pegah نويسنده Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, IR Iran , , Seif، Farhad نويسنده Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, IR Iran , , Bazmani، Ahad نويسنده Research Center of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Science, Tabriz, Iran . , , Momeni، Mohammad نويسنده Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecology Research Institute, Bandar-e Abbas, Iran. , , Ravary، Ali نويسنده Occupational Environment Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, IR Iran , , Kazemi Arababadi، Mohammad نويسنده , , Khalilian، Ali Reza نويسنده ,
Abstract :
Background: Several lines of evidence approve that innate and adaptive immunity play key roles in the defense against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The polymorphism within the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene alters its expression.
Objectives: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the polymorphism within the +49 position of the CTLA-4 gene of Iranian patients with VL in comparison with healthy controls.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 88 patients with clinical presentations of VL, who were seropositive for Leishmania (group 1), 86 patients without clinical presentations but seropositive (group 2), and 115 healthy controls (group 3) were assessed with respect to the CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The anti-Leishmania antibody titration was evaluated using an immunofluorescence method.
Results: Our results indicated that both CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphisms were significantly associated with VL.
Conclusions: According to the results, the polymorphisms within the +49 position of CTLA-4 can be associated with VL and may be considered as risk factors for the disease.
