Background: Several lines of evidence approve that innate and adaptive immunity play key roles in the defense against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The polymorphism within the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene alters its expression.
Objectives: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the polymorphism within the +49 position of the CTLA-4 gene of Iranian patients with VL in comparison with healthy controls.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 88 patients with clinical presentations of VL, who were seropositive for Leishmania (group 1), 86 patients without clinical presentations but seropositive (group 2), and 115 healthy controls (group 3) were assessed with respect to the CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The anti-Leishmania antibody titration was evaluated using an immunofluorescence method.
Results: Our results indicated that both CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphisms were significantly associated with VL.
Conclusions: According to the results, the polymorphisms within the +49 position of CTLA-4 can be associated with VL and may be considered as risk factors for the disease.
Keywords: CTLA-4; Polymorphism; Visceral Leishmaniasis.