Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Host genetic factors such as human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and non-HLA genes that are associated with the susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) will serve as genetic markers to predispose or predetermine the development of the disease.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study is to analyze the association between particular HLA-typing class I and the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Baghdad city.
PATIENTS & METHODS:
Blood samples were collected from one hundred patients; 50 samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis referred to the Chest and Respiratory Diseases Institute in Baghdad city and 50 samples from apparently healthy individuals. All samples were submitted to the lymphocytotoxicity test (NIH) and examined in Major Histocompatibility Laboratory in AL- Karama Hospital in Baghdad city.
RESULT:
It was found that HLA (15) expression was significantly higher in recently infected patients with tuberculosis than in the controls (p<0.01) and HLA-A (33) was significantly lower in those patients than the controls (p<0.05). HLA-A (1) was high significantly lower in historical TB patients than the controls (p<0.01). HLA-B (17) was significantly higher in recently infected patients with TB than the controls (p<0.05), HLA-B(35) was high significantly lower in historical TB patients than the controls (P<0.01). This study concluded that frequencies of HLA-A (15), HLA-B (17), in recently diagnosed pulmonary TB patients were significantly increased compared with those in the control group.
CONCLUSION:
The development of pulmonary tuberculosis infection is partly controlled by genetic factors. Sophisticated techniques such as (PCR) are needed for more assurance to verify this association. Further studies are required to investigate a possible relation between HLA-typing class II and the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Iraq.