Association of toxoplasma infection and susceptibility with NLRP1 rs8081261 and rs11652907 gene polymorphism using RFLP among Egyptian population

• Published in: Microbes and Infectious Diseases 2024-11, Vol.5 (4), p.1667-1677
• Main Authors: Ahmed Fakhr, Shereen Baioumy, Rania Mohamed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: congenital; inflammasome; nlrp1; rflp; toxoplasma
• ISSN: 2682-4132; 2682-4140
• DOI: 10.21608/mid.2024.304710.2081

Background: Toxoplasmosis is zoonotic protozoal disease that poses a significant risk to human health, with a high incidence rate observed globally. This study aimed to investigate the association between NLRP1 gene polymorphisms (rs8081261 and rs11652907) and susceptibility to Toxoplasma gondii infection by establishment of the groundwork for broader-scale investigations using a novel PCR-RFLP technique. The RFLP findings were confirmed through Sanger sequencing of representative samples, reinforcing the reliability of the RFLP technique. NALP1 or NLRP1 serves as an inflammatory sensor of the innate immune response to intracellular pathogens, such as Toxoplasma gondii. Methods: Ninety subjects from Sharkia governorate, Egypt were tested for Toxoplasma IgG and genotyped for the rs8081261 and rs11652907 Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which have been previously linked to congenital toxoplasmosis. Results: The overall seropositivity rate in the study population was 72.2%. The detected genotypes for rs8081261 were GG and AG, with percentages of 88.89% and 11.11%, respectively, while for rs11652907, the detected genotypes were TT and CT alleles, with percentages of 85.55% and 14.45%, respectively. The results showed that the (A) allele of rs8081261 increased the risk of past infection by approximately 3.64, while the (C) allele of rs11652907 increased the risk by 1.31 folds. Conclusion: A significant association was found between the level of IgG and both alleles. These findings provide insight into the potential role of these SNPs in different intracellular infections and their mechanisms. Further research is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms associated with the effects of these SNPs.