TB vulnerability in our genes
The dramatic decrease in the number of deaths from tuberculosis which has occurred in this century is unfortunately not matched by a comparable fall in the number of people who contract the disease. Thus, in spite of highly effective new methods of treatment by means of drugs and surgery, tuberculosis remains a major medical problem, with 50 million cases in the world each year.
However, now that treatments are available to counter this disease and many people recover from it, it is becoming apparent that there is an important factor affecting the incidence of tuberculosis and its severity in different individuals, including their ability to fight the disease. It is clear that this factor is genetic, and passed down from generation to generation. A study by Dr J. F. Kallmann, who has traced the medical history of large numbers of twins in New York, has ...
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