Large-scale candidate gene study of leprosy susceptibility in the Karonga district of northern Malawi.

Journal article

We present a large case-control candidate gene study of leprosy susceptibility. Thirty-eight polymorphic sites from 13 genes were investigated for their role in susceptibility to leprosy by comparing 270 cases with 452 controls in Karonga district, northern Malawi. Homozygotes for a silent T-->C change in codon 352 of the vitamin D receptor gene appeared to be at high risk (odds ratio [OR] = 4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-11.4, P = 0.004), while homozygotes for the McCoy b blood group defining variant K1590E in exon 29 of the complement receptor 1 (formerly CD35) gene appeared to be protected (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.8, P = 0.02). Borderline evidence for association with leprosy susceptibility was found for seven polymorphic sites in an additional six genes. Some of these apparent associations may be false-positive results from multiple comparisons, and several associations suggested by studies in other populations were not replicated here. These data provide evidence of inter-population heterogeneity in leprosy susceptibility.

Authors: Fitness, J; Floyd, S; Warndorff, D; Sichali, L; Mwaungulu, L

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
• Volume: 71
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 330-340
• Publication date: 2004-09-01
• EISSN: 1476-1645
• ISSN: 0002-9637
• Language: English
• Keywords: Genotype; Adult; Malawi; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Leprosy; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Polymorphism, Genetic; Case-Control Studies; Aged; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans