Genetic and Shared Environmental Influences on Interferon-g Production in Response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens in a Ugandan Population

Interferon-g (IFN-g) is a key cytokine in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Many studies established IFN-g responses are influenced by host genetics, however differed widely by the study design and heritability estimation method. We estimated heritability of IFN-g responses to Mtb culture filtrate (CF), ESAT-6, and Antigen 85B (Ag85B) in 1,104 Ugandans from a household contact study. Our method separately evaluates shared environmental and genetic variance, therefore heritability estimates were not upwardly biased, ranging from 11.6% for Ag85B to 22.9% for CF. Subset analyses of individuals with latent Mtb infection or without human immunodeficiency virus infection yielded higher heritability estimates, suggesting 10–30% of variation in IFN-g is caused by a shared environment. Immunosuppression does not negate the role of genetics on IFN-g response. These estimates are remarkably close to those reported for components of the innate immune response. These findings have implications for the interpretation of IFN-g response assays and vaccine studies.

Keywords

Genetic, Environmental Influences, Production, Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens, Ugandan Population

Citation

Tao, L., Zalwango, S., Chervenak, K., Thiel, B., Malone, L. L., Qiu, F., ... & Tuberculosis Research Unit (TBRU. (2013). Genetic and shared environmental influences on interferon-γ production in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in a Ugandan population. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 89(1), 169. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.12-0670

URI

https://nru.uncst.go.ug/xmlui/handle/123456789/243

Collections

Medical and Health Sciences

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