Relationship of IL27 gene polymorphisms with the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis in Chinese Han population

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of human interleukin-27 (IL-27) gene polymorphisms -964A/G and 2095T/G on the development of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and its radiographic characteristics and severity. Methods: A case-control study was performed in 123 PTB patients and 110 healthy controls. Differences in genotype and allele distributions of the two polymorphisms were analyzed via chi-square test between PTB patients and controls, between patients with single-and multi-lobe involvement, and between patients with and without cavities. Results: Significant differences were found in the genotype and allele distributions of -964A/G (P<0.05), in which GG genotype carriers were more common in PTB patients. In addition, the -964AA genotype was more prevalent in patients with single-lobe involvement compare with those with multi-lobe involvement (51.355 vs. 30.30%, P=0.035), as well as the 2095TT genotype (89.19% vs. 71.21, P=0.036). But there were no significant differences between patients with or without cavitations in either polymorphisms (P>0.05). Conclusion: IL-27 gene polymorphism -964A/G was correlated with PTB susceptibility, and G allele might be a risk factor for the disease onset. Furthermore, the -964AA genotype might be associated with a protective role that limits the intrapulmonary spread of TB in Chinese population. But the role of 2095T/G was not sure.