Evaluation of interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 (IFITM3) rs7478728 and rs3888188 polymorphisms and the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The current study aimed to examine the possible association between the interferon-induced transmembrane protein-3 (IFITM3) gene polymorphisms and risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in a sample population. This case-control study was conducted on 188 PTB patients and 169 healthy subjects. The rs7478728 and rs3888188 variants of IFITM3 were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The findings showed no significant association between rs7478728 polymorphism and risk of PTB. Regarding rs3888188 polymorphism, the TG genotype as well as G allele significantly increased the risk of PTB [odds ratio (OR)=2.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42-4.53; P=0.002, and OR=2.26, 95% CI: 1.33-3.86; P=0.003, respectively]. In conclusion, the findings revealed that rs3888188 polymorphism increased the risk of PTB in a sample of Iranian population. Additional investigation with larger sample sizes and different ethnicities are needed to verify our findings.