1. ¹Institute of Endemic Disease, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
2. ²Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK

Correspondence: Dr HS Mohamed, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. E-mail: HibaSalah@iend.org

Received 10 August 2006; Revised 9 October 2006; Accepted 10 October 2006; Published online 30 November 2006.

Abstract

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmanaisis (PKDL) in Sudan is associated with elevated interferon- (IFN-). To study interferon- pathways in PKDL, we genotyped 80 trios from the Masalit ethnic group for polymorphisms at -470 ins/delTT, -270T/C, -56T/C and +95T/C in IFNGR1 and at -179G/A and +874T/A in IFNG. No associations occurred at IFNG. Global association with haplotypes comprising all four markers at IFNGR1 (²_10df=21.97, P=0.015) was observed, associated with a significant (²_1df=4.54, P=0.033) bias in transmission of the haplotype insTT T T T and less (²_1df=5.59, P=0.018) than expected transmission of insTT C C C. When compared with data on malaria associations from Gambia, the results suggest a complex pattern of haplotypic variation at the IFNGR1 promoter locus associated with different infectious disease in African populations that reflect the complex roles of IFN- in parasite killing versus inflammation and pathogenesis.