Association of Mycobacterium infections in patients with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease with venous thromboembolism.

Abstract

An association between a hypercoagulable state and Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD) has been established in a few studies; resultant thrombosis is considered rare. In a case-control study, the prevalence of factor V Leiden, prothrombin G20210A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, A1298C mutations were investigated in mycobacterium-infected patients. The study comprised 30 patients with mycobacterial infections (invasive, disseminated and/or recurrent infections with Bacille Calmette-Guerin or non-tuberculosis mycobacteria and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis with positive results for acid-fast bacilli and tuberculin skin tests) and 30 normal healthy controls. Forty female (66.7%) and 20 male subjects (33.3%) aged from 3 to 70 years were recruited into this study. Genotyping of targeted genes was performed by RT-PCR and cytokine TNF-α concentrations were quantified using a commercially available ELISA kit. Significant associations between mycobacterial infection and TNF-α production after stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells with LPS alone and with IFN-γ plus LPS were identified. Moreover, genotyping analysis in the studied population revealed a significant association between MTHFR c.677C>T (OR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.35-7.92; P < 0.05), MTHFR c.1298A>C (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.10-4.93; P < 0.05) and mycobacterial infection in affected patients, indicating susceptibility to venous thromboembolism according to previous studies. Additionally, mycobacterium-infected patients had a significantly greater prevalence of MTHFR C677T and A1298C mutations than controls.