Tuberculosis stills claiming the lives of many people, humanity Stills struggling against this disease but unfortunately, but in vain. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the main causative agent of TB in human. A defect in the genes of the immune response is the most plausible explanation for susceptibility of some individuals and resistance of others to TB. Cytokines play critical role in interactions and integration between the cells of immune system, which leads to effective defense against TB, among cytokines IL-4, which have regulatory role in immune response.

 Aim of the study:

The main goal of this study is to produce molecular analysis for promoters of IL-4 genes in Iraqi patients with TB.

Seventy-four blood specimens were collected from 74 patients  in the Institute of the Tuberculosis and Chest Disease–Basra city, blood specimens also collected from 74 healthy individuals as control. Extracted DNA was amplified using two sets of specific primers for promoter region of IL-4 gene; purified amplicons were sequenced and were analyzed using specific software.

The genotyping analysis of promoter of IL-4 gene was indicated two alleles C and T, of them C allele is predominant (73%), while T allele is recessive (24%). Although those heterozygous genotype (CT) were present in patient and healthy control (HC), but the frequency of CT in patients was significantly higher than those of controls.

IL-4 promoters carry more than one type of mutations pushing toward increasing susceptibility of some individuals to TB.