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Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1, and interferon-γ have been identified as key determinants in the inflammatory response to infections. Polymorphisms of the genes controlling these pathways are associated with variations in susceptibility to — and the course of — infectious diseases.
A multinational group of researchers recently investigated the association between susceptibility to infection and polymorphisms in the genes controlling cytokine release in response to IL-2, the principal cytokine in cellular immune responses. They found a link between susceptibility to various infections and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to the cytokine-inducible SRC homology 2 domain protein (CI…