Résumé
Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease that is endemic in some areas of Iran, including East Azerbaijan. IFN- gamma is one of the cytokines that triggers cell-mediated immunity, thus initiating elimination of the infection. This case-control study was performed to investigate the association between the polymorphism of the IFN- gamma gene at the +874A/T locus and visceral leishmaniasis [VL]. In this study conducted during 2012-2013, 267 participants were selected from individuals living in an endemic area of VL. Subjects were divided into three groups; 86 patients with VL, 82 seropositive individuals without any history of leishmaniasis, and 99 seronegative healthy controls. Genotyping of the IFN- gamma +874A/T polymorphism was carried out using an Amplification Refractory Mutation System-PCR [ARMS-PCR]. The frequency of the +874A allele in the patient group [75.5%] was higher than in the seropositive individuals [54%]. The highest frequency of the +874T/T genotype was observed in seropositive individuals, while the patient group had the lowest frequency [34.1% vs. 24.5%]. However, these differences were not significant. There was no significant association between IFN- gamma +874A/T polymorphism and VL