Cytokine gene polymorphisms in visceral leishmaniasis Iraqi patients

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe chronic systemic zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania donovani or L. infantum, in which cytokines play an important role in its pathogenesis. These cytokines are under genetic control, and their gene polymorphisms have been suggested to exert a functional role in regulating cytokine gene expression. Therefore, the present study determined IFN-¿,IL-2, IL-10 and IL-12 serum levels and gene polymorphisms of 11 cytokine and cytokine receptor genes (IL1A, IL1B, IL2, IL4, IL4R, IL6, IL10, IL12B, TNF, IFNG and TGFB1) in VL patients by ELISA assay and sequence specific primer-PCR method. Gene polymorphism impact on IFN-¿, IL-2, IL-10 and IL-12 serum levels was also evaluated. These evaluations were carried out on Iraqi Arab children with VL.