Transporter associated with antigen-processing (TAP) genes and susceptibility to tuberculoid leprosy and pulmonary tuberculosis

We have studied TAP polymorphism in a panel of 40 healthy individuals, 57 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and 50 with tuberculoid (TT) leprosy from North India. Only TAP2-A/F occurred with a significantly increased frequency in PTB patients as compared to controls (82.5% vs. 52.5%, P<0.002, Pc<0.01) giving a high relative risk of 4.3. On the other hand, TAP2-B was significantly increased in TT leprosy as compared to controls (76% vs. 47.5%, Pc<0.003, RR 3.5) particularly in patients positive for HLA-DR15 than controls carrying DR15 (77.5% vs. 50%, P<0.03, RR=3.4). Further, TAP2-B allele was positively associated with DR15 negative PTB patients as compared to the DR15 positive group (43.8% vs. 17.1%, P<0.04, RR=0.3). This study along with our earlier studies on HLA association in mycobacterial diseases suggests that in addition to HLA-DR15, alleles in the TAP2 region influence susceptibility to PTB and TT leprosy.