PTPN22 C1858T polymorphism and human brucellosis.

The PTPN22 gene encodes for an intracellular lymphoid-specific phosphatase (Lyp) that has a negative regulatory effect on T-cell activation. The minor allele of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the PTPN22 gene encoding the Lyp-tyrosine phosphatase has been associated with multiple autoimmune disorders and with susceptibility to M. tuberculosis. It is possible, therefore, that variants of this gene may also be involved in susceptibility to another intracellular pathogen, B. melitensis, which gives rise to human brucellosis. Accordingly, we studied 111 patients with brucellosis and 150 healthy controls who had had no prior contact with the pathogen. Genotyping of the PTPN22 1858CT was performed by an allele discrimination assay with TaqMan 5'. We found no statistically significant differences between the patients and the controls in genotype or allele frequencies of PTPN22 1858CT. These data suggest that this variant is not associated with human brucellosis.

TGF-beta1 and IL-6 gene polymorphism in Spanish brucellosis patients.

Polymorphisms in the cytokine genes have allowed for the understanding of the genetic determinants in several diseases. We investigated the polymorphism of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and IL-6 genes in relation to susceptibility to human brucellosis. We typed 82 Spanish brucellosis patients and 102 healthy controls for TGF-beta1 polymorphisms in codons 10 and 25, and IL-6 promoter polymorphism at position -174 by PCR-SSP methods. The T/T G/G genotype of the TGF-beta1 gene was significantly increased in patients compared to controls (49% vs. 32%) P=0.02; OR=1.99 (1.05-3.80) and the T/C G/G genotype was significantly less common in the patients compared to the controls (32% vs. 49%) P=0.01; OR=0.48 (0.25-0.92). The CC genotype of codon 10 was significantly increased in the patients who had focal forms of the disease as compared with those who did not develop focal forms (19% vs. 4%), P=0.03; OR=0.19 (0.02-1.10). No differences were found in the IL-6 variants between the patients and the controls. These results suggest that polymorphism of the TGF-beta1 gene may be involved in susceptibility to brucellosis and to developing focal forms of the disease in a group of patients from southern Spain.

[Current infectious disease care in Spain]. / La asistencia infectológica actual en España.

Despite the specialist activity of Infectious Diseases not being officially recognised, the majority of the hospitals in the autonomous communities of Spain are equipped with structures, with significant heterogeneity among them, to be able to offer high quality care in these diseases. The main characteristics of and Infectious Diseases Department is its important healthcare activity, more than in other officially recognised medical specialities, and also its important interrelationship with other services in the hospital which is clearly horizontal healthcare. Furthermore, the aforementioned infectious disease care units have developed important activities in the arena of community and public health and, in collaboration with health authorities, contribute to the rational use of antimicrobials and the relationship with Primary Care. The future of specialists in infectious diseases, when they are officially recognised, will be the creation of clinical management units in every health institution with the objective of coordinating all the specialised health care, both in the hospital environment and in its health area of influence.