NRAMP1/SLC11A1 gene polymorphisms and host susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. leprae in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Abstract. Genetic host factor may play an important role in controlling mycobac-terial infections such as tuberculosis and leprosy. Natural resistance associatedmacrophage protein1 (Nramp1, alias Slc11a1) gene has been suggested to an asso-ciated gene of the host susceptibility to mycobacterium infection. To determinethe association of Nramp1/Slc11a1 with tuberculosis and leprosy, we analyzedusing polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphisms threevariants (D543N, 3’UTR and INT4) of Nramp1/Slc11a1 gene in 58 tuberculosispatients (mean age, 34.0–13.1), 42 leprosy patients (mean age, 35.0–14.3) and 198healthy controls (mean age, 32.0–12.9) from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. We ob-served an association of INT4 polymorphism with paucibacillary type of leprosy( p =0.032, 1df, OR=2.975, CI=1.057-8.373), but not to multibacillary type ( p =0.173,1df, OR=2.248, CI=0.682-7.404). No significant association was found in the threevariants with tuberculosis in this population. Key words: