Significance of hereditary predisposition factors in the development and course of pulmonary tuberculosis

: Comprehensive clinical, genetic, epidemiological, and immunogenetic studies have established that tuberculosis is a multifactorial disease whose development and natural history are due to the interaction of environmental factors, primarily, to infection and hereditary predisposition. Associations between tuberculosis and various HLA loci B antigens, as well as HLA locus D-DR2 antigen have been detected in different populations. The HLA genotype was shown to differ in patients with favourable and unfavourable tuberculosis natural history. The comprehensive study of genetic markers allows one to make a prompt assessment of the nature of a tuberculous process, to define its prognosis and to correct treatment.