Effect of multiple genetic polymorphisms on antigen presentation and susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

ABSTRACT: Several molecules related to antigen presentation, including gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), are encoded by polymorphic genes. Some polymorphisms were found to affect susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) when they were considered singly in epidemiological studies, but how multiple polymorphisms interact to determine susceptibility to TB in an individual remains an open question. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in some genes may counteract or intensify the effects of polymorphisms in other genes. For example, an increase in IFN-gamma expression may counteract the weak binding that a particular MHC variant displays for a peptide from Mycobacterium tuberculosis to establish the same T-cell response as another, more strongly binding MHC variant. T

SUBMITTER: Chang ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2446740 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature