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The Genetics of Host Resistance and Susceptibility to Tuberculosis
Author(s) -
DAVIES PETER,
GRANGE JOHN
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb11373.x
Subject(s) - virulence , biology , tuberculosis , gene , mycobacterium tuberculosis , genetics , drug resistance , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , pathology
A bstract : The study of human genomics has the potential to aid our understanding of the interindividual and interpopulation differences in susceptibility to tuberculosis. Resistance to infection is affected by the ability of macrophages to phagocytose and destroy the bacilli. Several genes are involved in this process, and two have been the focus of recent interest: the natural resistanceassociated protein ( NRAMP1 ) gene and the genes coding for the vitamin D receptor. Susceptibility genes have also been discovered—for example, one on the X chromosome that may explain the increased susceptibility of males to tuberculosis. Studies have also focused on the variations in virulence of the bacillus in both its drug‐susceptible and drug‐resistant forms. These mechanisms must be understood in order to prevent, or combat, the emergence of a virulent, multidrug‐resistant form of the bacillus that would be uncontrollable by means of today's treatment strategies.