Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading cause of infectious disease mortality globally. Host genetic factors, particularly those involved in innate immunity like Cluster of Differentiation 14 (CD14), may influence susceptibility to TB. This study investigated the association of two CD14 promoter polymorphisms, rs2569190 (C-159 T) and rs2569191 (A-1145G), with TB susceptibility in the Kurdish population of Iran. A prospective case-control study was conducted, enrolling 303 newly diagnosed TB patients (280 drug-sensitive, 23 MDR-TB) and 288 age- and sex-matched healthy Kurdish controls from Ilam, Iran. Genotyping for rs2569190 and rs2569191 was performed using PCR-RFLP. The TT genotype of rs2569190 and the GG genotype of rs2569191 were significantly more frequent in both drug-sensitive and MDR-TB patient groups compared to controls (P < 0.05). Under the codominant model, the TT genotype of rs2569190 (OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.15-2.45) and the GG genotype of rs2569191 (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.06-2.26) were associated with increased TB susceptibility. Haplotype analysis revealed a higher prevalence of the CG haplotype in TB patients and an association of the TG haplotype with increased TB risk. In conclusions, this study suggests that the CD14 promoter polymorphisms rs2569190 and rs2569191 are associated with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis in the Kurdish population of Iran. These findings highlight the potential role of CD14 genetic variations in TB pathogenesis and warrant further investigation in other populations and functional studies to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.