Suneil Malik, Erwin Schurr
Genetic Susceptibility to Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, caused by the human pathogen Mycobacterium
tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), affects an estimated
8 million people annually, resulting in approximately
2 million deaths. Human genetic variability is
an important modulator of tuberculosis susceptibility.
This review will discuss candidate susceptibility genes
that have been implicated in tuberculosis susceptibility
across various ethnic groups and epidemiological
settings. Evaluating the genetic variants of tuberculosis
susceptibility genes will provide us with a better
understanding of the disease mechanisms in tuberculosis.
Ultimately, such genetic studies may lead to the
development of effective alternative treatments to
cope with the growing problem of tuberculosis infections
due to the AIDS pandemic, the emergence of
multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis, and the limited efficacy
of Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) vaccination.
Clinical Chemical Laboratory Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1434-6621
Volume: 40, 09/2002
Pages: 863 - 868
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