TGF-β Polymorphisms Are a Risk Factor for Chagas Disease

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is an important mediator in Chagas disease. Furthermore, patients with higher TGF-β1 serum levels show a worse clinical outcome. Gene polymorphism may account for differences in cytokine production during infectious diseases. We tested whether TGFB1 polymorphisms could be associated with Chagas disease susceptibility and severity in a Brazilian population. We investigated five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (−800 G>A, −509 C>T, +10 T>C, +25 G>C, and +263 C>T). 152 patients with Chagas disease (53 with the indeterminate form and 99 with the cardiac form) and 48 noninfected subjects were included. Genotypes CT and TT at position −509 of the TGFB1 gene were more frequent in Chagas disease patients than in noninfected subjects. Genotypes TC and CC at codon +10 of the TGFB1 gene were also more frequent in Chagas disease patients than in noninfected subjects. We found no significant differences in the distribution of the studied TGFB1 polymorphisms between patients with the indeterminate or cardiac form of Chagas disease. Therefore, −509 C>T and +10 T>C TGFB1 polymorphisms are associated with Chagas disease susceptibility in a Brazilian population.