Abstract
Objective: Recent studies have reported that vitamin D has an important role in tuberculosis. Polymorphism of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2228570 or FokI will generate proteins with various amino acid lengths, and affect the molecular physiological roles of vitamin D. Cathelicidin acts as an antimicrobial directly against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and mediator autophagy by macrophages induced by vitamin D. This study aims to determine the role of vitamin D, vitamin D receptor gene SNP rs2228570 (FokI), and plasma levels of cathelicidin in children with tuberculosis infection.
 Methods: This cross-sectional was conducted on children aged £14 y who had close contacts with an adult who had sputum smear positive for acid-fast bacilli indicating pulmonary TB. The children were divided into two groups: those with and those without TB infection. Demographic data and blood samples were taken from children participating in this study to examine polymorphisms and cathelicidin plasma levels, and to determine the association between these levels in children with and without TB infection.
 Results: There were no differences in the proportion of genotype and allele of SNP rs2228570 vitamin D receptor gene (FokI), polymorphisms of VDR, and cathelicidin plasma levels between children with and without TB infection (p>0.05). However, nutritional status and levels of cathelicidin by age category increased the risk of TB infection (p<0.05).
 Conclusion: Cathelicidin level in children with TB infection lower than without. Vitamin D and FokI polymorphism did not play role in TB infection.
Highlights
Tuberculosis is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) [1, 2]
There were no differences in the proportion of genotype and allele of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs2228570 vitamin D receptor gene (FokI), polymorphisms of VDR, and cathelicidin plasma levels between children with and without TB infection (p>0.05)
Nutritional status and levels of cathelicidin by age category increased the risk of TB infection (p
Summary
Tuberculosis is an infection caused by Mtb [1, 2]. Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of Mtb infection. The active form of vitamin D [1, 25(OH)-2D3] has been known to affect the mononuclear phagocytic ability to suppress the growth of Mtb intracellularly, especially in the early days of infection and latent infection. VDR gene polymorphism is one of the factors that increases the incidence of tuberculosis infection [3]. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the gene VDR have been identified, namely the SNP rs2228570 (FokI) in exon II, SNP rs731236 (TaqI) in exon IX,SNP rs1544410 (BsmI), and SNP rs7975232 (ApaI), which are located in the intron between exons VIII and IX [4]. Meta analysis of several studies reported that FokI polymorphisms increase the risk of tuberculosis infection in Asians [6]
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