Distribution of TGF-β1 C-509T polymorphism in Thai population

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) C-509T gene polymorphism has been found to be associated with severity and susceptibility of many diseases. To examine the distribution of TGF-β1 C-509T (rs1800469) gene polymorphism in Thai population, 56 samples from unrelated healthy Thai volunteers were analyzed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The genotype frequencies of TGF-β1 C-509T polymorphisms were as follows: CC 12.5%, CT 39.3% and TT 48.2%, which showed no statistically  significant differences to those of Chinese (Han) (p=0.390), Italian (p=0.057), Serbian (p=0.554) and Brazilian (p=0.442) population. However, a statistically significant difference was observedbetween the genotype frequencies found in this study and those of Indian (p=0.005), Russian  (p=0.048), English (p=0.006), German (p=0.014), and Egyptian (p<0.0001) population. In addition, statistically significant differences were also observed between allele frequencies in Thai population in this study and those of other reported groups; including, Chinese (Han), Indian,Russian, Italian, English, German, Serbian, Egyptian, and Brazilian (p<0.05). The frequency of Tallele in Thai was significantly higher than that of C allele, whereas in other reported groups, the Callele frequencies were significantly higher than T allele frequencies (p<0.05). From the above data, it is likely that the distribution of TGF-β1 C-509T gene polymorphisms in Thai population is different from those of Asian, Caucasian, Egyptian, and Brazilian population. This observation may be useful and could be applied for treatment and prognostic of disease in the future. However, further studies in larger numbers of Thai subjects are required for confirmation

IL4 gene polymorphism and previous malaria experiences manipulate anti-Plasmodium falciparum antibody isotype profiles in complicated and uncomplicated malaria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The <it>IL4</it>-590 gene polymorphism has been shown to be associated with elevated levels of anti-<it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>IgG antibodies and parasite intensity in the malaria protected Fulani of West Africa. This study aimed to investigate the possible impact of <it>IL4</it>-590C/T polymorphism on anti-<it>P. falciparum </it>IgG subclasses and IgE antibodies levels and the alteration of malaria severity in complicated and uncomplicated malaria patients with or without previous malaria experiences.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anti-<it>P.falciparum </it>IgG subclasses and IgE antibodies in plasma of complicated and uncomplicated malaria patients with or without previous malaria experiences were analysed using ELISA. <it>IL4</it>-590 polymorphisms were genotyped using RFLP-PCR. Statistical analyses of the IgG subclass levels were done by Oneway ANOVA. Genotype differences were tested by Chi-squared test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The <it>IL4</it>-590T allele was significantly associated with anti-<it>P. falciparum </it>IgG3 antibody levels in patients with complicated (<it>P </it>= 0.031), but not with uncomplicated malaria (<it>P </it>= 0.622). Complicated malaria patients with previous malaria experiences carrying <it>IL4</it>-590TT genotype had significantly lower levels of anti-<it>P. falciparum </it>IgG3 (<it>P </it>= 0.0156), while uncomplicated malaria patients with previous malaria experiences carrying the same genotype had significantly higher levels <it>(P </it>= 0.0206) compared to their <it>IL4</it>-590 counterparts. The different anti-<it>P. falciparum </it>IgG1 and IgG3 levels among IL4 genotypes were observed. Complicated malaria patients with previous malaria experiences tended to have lower IgG3 levels in individuals carrying TT when compared to CT genotypes (<it>P </it>= 0.075). In contrast, complicated malaria patients without previous malaria experiences carrying CC genotype had significantly higher anti-<it>P. falciparum </it>IgG1 than those carrying either CT or TT genotypes (<it>P </it>= 0.004, <it>P </it>= 0.002, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that <it>IL4</it>-590C or T alleles participated differently in the regulation of anti-malarial antibody isotype profiles in primary and secondary malaria infection and, therefore, could play an important role in alteration of malaria severity.</p

Cutaneous findings in five cases of malaria

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. Cutaneous lesions in malaria are rarely reported and include urticaria, angioedema, petechiae, purpura, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Here, five malaria cases associated with cutaneous lesions have been described. Out of the five cases of malaria, two were associated with urticaria and angioedema, one case was associated with urticaria, and other two were associated with reticulated blotchy erythema with petechiae. Most of the cutaneous lesions in malaria were nonspecific and reflected the different immunopathological mechanism in malarial infection

Human gamma delta T cells that inhibit the in vitro growth of the asexual blood stages of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite express cytolytic and proinflammatory molecules.

The functional properties, regarding parasite growth inhibition in vitro, the cytotoxic potential and cytokine profiles of human gammadelta+ and alphabeta+ T cells, T-cell lines and clones stimulated with Plasmodium falciparum-antigen-or T-cell mitogen in vitro were investigated. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and specific primers, mRNA for the cytolytic molecules perforin, granzyme A and B, Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) were detected in both the gammadelta- and the alphabetaT cells. Despite this fact, only gammadeltaT cells inhibited, both Vdelta1+ and Vdelta2+, the in vitro growth of the asexual blood stages in a dose dependent manner. The inhibition required cell-to-cell contact and was not observed until the second parasite replication implied that the likely gammadeltaT-cell target was the extracellular merozoite or schizont. The failure of alphabetaT cells to inhibit the growth of the parasite suggests requirement of additional cytolytic molecules/signals or different receptor specificities exhibited by the gammadeltaT cells. Both the gammadelta- and alphabetaT cells expressed mRNA for a large number of cytokines. Interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL) IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), tumour necrosis factor beta (TNF-beta)/lymphotoxin (LT) and T-cell growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) were observed in all activated clones tested. No IL-3 was detected, while IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and GM-CSF were variably expressed. In conclusion, our data show that gammadeltaT cells in malaria nonimmune individuals inhibit the asexual blood stages of P. falciparum malaria, while similarly activated alphabetaT cells do not. Thus, it is likely that the gammadeltaT cells could play a mandatory role in the elimination of parasites and/or the regulation of the early immune response to malaria infection