IL-17A rs2275913 polymorphism is associated with spinal tuberculosis but not with pulmonary tuberculosis: A study of the Han population in southern China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported an association between the IL-17 A rs2275913 polymorphism and tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility in Egyptians and Argentines, but there have been few reports in Chinese people, especially among spinal tuberculosis (STB) patients. To investigate the association between the polymorphism of IL-17 A rs2275913 and different types of TB susceptibility in a southern Han Chinese population, we conducted a case-control study.

METHODS: This study collected peripheral blood samples from 296 TB patients (154 STB patients and 142 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients) and 182 healthy controls. The SNPscan™ kit was used to genotype the polymorphism of IL-17 A rs2275913.

RESULTS: There were significant differences in the distribution of the AA genotype at this locus between the STB group and control group (p = 0.002) and between the STB group and PTB group (p = 0.003). However, there were no significant differences were observed in the genotype distribution between the TB group and control group or between the PTB group and control group. The proportion of the A allele in the STB group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p = 0.007) and PTB group (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION: In the Han population of southern China, the IL-17 A rs2275913 was first identified as associated with susceptibility to STB, but not with susceptibility to PTB. This locus maybe a relatively specific genetic locus for STB. The A allele at this locus is a protective factor against STB and maybe one of the genetic factors determining which subtype of tuberculosis progresses.