Association of CARD8 rs 2043211 polymorphism with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis comorbidity in Yaound, Cameroon: A pilot study

Africa is burdened by infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis (TB), while also experiencing a rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM). CARD8 is a component of the inflammasome sensor family, and a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in this gene may influence disease progression and outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association between the rs2043211 SNP and the comorbidity of T2DM and TB among individuals in Yaoundé, Cameroon. A total of 155 participants were recruited into four groups: T2DM only, TB only, comorbid T2DM and TB, and healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0. Chi-square tests compared genotype and allele frequencies between cases and controls; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Associations between alleles or genotypes and disease risk were assessed using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In the TB group, the rs2043211 AA genotype was significantly associated with increased risk (OR = 4.696, CI = 1.931–11.418, P = 0.0008), while T allele was protective (OR = 0.213, CI = 0.088–0.518, P = 0.0008). In the comorbid group, the AT genotype and T allele were exclusively present in cases, indicating a strong association with increased risk (P = 0.0003). Similarly, in the TB group, the AT genotype and T allele were significantly associated with increased risk (OR = 6.833, CI = 2.731–17.093, P = 0.00003; OR = 4.472, CI = 1.749–11.432, P = 0.002, respectively). In conclusion, CARD8 rs2043211 polymorphism may influence susceptibility to T2DM and tuberculosis, suggesting a role in disease pathogenesis. Key words: CARD8, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), tuberculosis, comorbidity, Cameroon.