Association of Interferon-γ Receptor-1 Gene Polymorphism with Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Infection among Iranian Patients with Pulmonary Disease

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause significant pulmonary infections in humans. Researchers have reported an association between interferon-gamma receptor-1 (IFN-γR1 or IFNGR1) deficiency and susceptibility to NTM, but the relevance of polymorphism within these genes is not yet clear. In this study, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), T to C, at position-56 in NTM patients with pulmonary disease was investigated. Molecular identification of Mycobacterium isolates was performed with hsp65 genes using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Then, the host genomic DNA from confirmed NTM patients (N = 80) and control subjects (N = 80) were screened for SNPs of IFNGR1 (T-56C) by PCR-RFLP. The results indicated that NTM patients had higher TC (26/80; 32.5%) or CC (46/80; 57.5%) genotypes in comparison with control groups (TC genotypes [22/80, 27.5%]; CC genotypes [6/80, 7.5%]) (P < 0.05). In this regard, all the patients infected with rapid-growing Mycobacterium (RGM, i.e., Mycobacterium chelonae and Mycobacterium fortuitum) had CC genotypes (100%). In contrary, only 50.7% (35/69) of infected patients with slow-growing Mycobacterium (i.e., Mycobacterium simiae, Mycobacterium kansasii, and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare) had CC genotypes. Thus, patients with CC mutation in IFNGR1 at position-56 are more likely to develop RGM infection. In overall, there is a significant association between SNP of IFNGR1 at position-56 and susceptibility to NTM infection. Based on these data, we propose SNP of IFNGR1 at position-56 as a suitable “biomarker” for identifying populations at higher risk of infection.