Association of transforming growth factor-β1 gene polymorphism with Visceral leishmaniasis in an Iranian population

摘要

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala-azar is a parasitic disease caused by a protozoan of Leishmania genus and in Iran by Leishmania infantum. Cytokines have a major role in determining progression and severity of clinical manifestations in VL. The role of TGF-β1 in VL has been recognized since 1992. We investigated polymorphism in the TGF-β1 gene, which is a cytokine known to have a role in onset and severity of the disease.