Association of interleukin-18 gene polymorphism with susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis in endemic area of Bihar, an Indian population

摘要

Background: Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a cytokine that mediates Th1 response by inducing interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production in T cells and natural killer cells. Genetic polymorphisms in the IL-18 gene have been found to be associated with its expression in cancer, tuberculosis, HBV infection and various other diseases. Lower plasma level of IL-18 in visceral leishmaniasis patients might be associated with polymorphisms in the coding gene.