Genetic polymorphisms in TLR4, CR1 and Duffy genes are not associated with malaria resistance in patients from Baixo Amazonas region, Brazil

• Published in: Genetics and molecular research Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 1011 - 1019
• Main Authors: Soares, S.C, Abé-Sandes, K, Nascimento Filho, V.B, Nunes, F.M.F, Silva, W.A. Jr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil 01.01.2008
• Subjects: Animals; Brazil - epidemiology; complement receptors; disease resistance; duffy blood group; Duffy Blood-Group System - genetics; erythrocytes; Gene Frequency; genetic polymorphism; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; human diseases; human genetics; Humans; malaria; Malaria - epidemiology; Malaria - genetics; Mutation; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - pathogenicity; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium vivax - pathogenicity; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; population genetics; receptors; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Complement 3b - genetics; Toll-like receptor 4; Toll-Like Receptor 4 - genetics; Brazil; Brazil, Amazonas; Brazil, Para
• ISSN: 1676-5680; 1676-5680
• DOI: 10.4238/vol7-4gmr439

The main purpose of this research was to analyze the relation of the genetic polymorphisms frequently expressed by antigen-presenting cells, erythrocytes and malaria susceptibility/resistance with the human malaria infection cases. The sample used consisted of 23 Plasmodium vivax (Pv)- and P. falciparum (Pf)-infected patients, and 21 healthy individuals as a control group, from the Baixo Amazonas population in Pará, Brazil. The Asp299Gly polymorphisms in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and Gly42Asp, Arg89Cys, Ala100Thr, and T-33C in the Duffy gene (FY) were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction. The Lys1590Glu and Arg1601Gly polymorphisms in the complement receptor type 1 (CR1) were analyzed by DNA sequencing. According to the results obtained and statistical analysis considering a significance level or alpha = 0.01, we conclude that the low heterozygote frequency (2.27%) for the Asp299Gly mutation, detected in the TLR4 gene, is not related to the Pv and Pf infections in the patients analyzed. Also, the promoter region GATA-1 analysis of the FY gene in the Pv-infected patients showed that the heterozygote frequency for the T-33C mutation (11.36% of the infected patients and 20.45% of the control patients) is not related to infection resistance. Regarding the CR1 gene, the observed heterozygote frequency (9.09%) for the Arg1601Gly mutation in Pf-infected patients when compared to heterozygote frequency in the control group (18.18%) suggests that there is no correlation with infection resistance.