Interleukin-12 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Β Gene Polymorphisms as Genetic Susceptibility Factors for Brucellosis in Iranian Patients

Some reports suggest that the cytokine gene polymorphisms can contribute to the resistance or susceptibility to brucellosis. The aim of this study was to find out any probable association of genetic polymorphisms of Interleukin-12 (+1188 A/C) and TNF-β (+252 A/G) with susceptibility to the disease. One hundred and ninety-six patients with brucellosis and 81 healthy farmers (controls) who owned infected animals and consumed their contaminated dairy products were included in this study. IL-12 (+1188 A/C) and TNF-β (+252 A/G) genotyping were carried out for all of the subjects. The results showed that the frequencies of IL-12 AA genotype and A allele were higher in controls than in patients while TNF-β AA genotype and A allele were significantly higher in patients compared to the controls. These findings suggest that the inheritance of the above-mentioned genotypes and alleles can be considered as genetic factors conferring resistance or susceptibility to brucellosis.