3 ' UTR polymorphisms in the NRAMP1 gene are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Koreans

SETTING: Korea University and the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, Seoul, Korea. OBJECTIVE: TO determine whether polymorphisms in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the NRAMP1 gene are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosi s in Koreans. DESIGN: A case-control study design was used to compare the frequency of 3' UTR of NRAMP1 among 192 tuberculosis patients and 192 healthy individuals. All of the samples were diagnosed by X-ray, smear and culture tests between 1998 and 1999 in the Cross of Lorraine Clinic at the Korean Institute of T uberculosis. RESULTS: A significant association was found between the Korean tuberculosi s patients and polymorphisms in the 3'UTR of the NRAMP1 gene (odds ratio [O R] 1.845; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.097-3.104; chi(2) = 5.424; P= 0.02 0). CONCLUSION: This study showed that genetic variations in the human NRAMP1 g ene are associated with susceptibility to smear-positive tuberculosis in Ko rean patients. The 3'UTR variant allele associated with susceptibility to t uberculosis is very uncommon in Caucasians, but is present in Koreans and W est Africans. These observations may explain in part why African Americans and Koreans have greater susceptibility to tuberculosis than Caucasians.