BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The genetic determinants for developing TB or having recurrent TB are unknown. The present study investigated the relationship between susceptibility to tuberculosis and human tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 genes (IL-10). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted using two groups of cases--newly diagnosed TB (N-TB) and recurrent TB (R-TB)--and a control group. RESULTS: One hundred and seventeen healthy controls, 80 newly diagnosed TB patients and 65 patients with recurrent TB were enrolled. There was no significant difference in the TNF-alpha-308 G/A genotype between the TB patient groups and the controls. The IL-10 -1082A alleles were markedly over-represented among the TB patient groups compared with the control subjects, however, there was no significant difference in the IL-10 genotype frequency between the N-TB and R-TB patient groups. CONCLUSION: The -1082A allele of the IL-10 gene may be important in determining susceptibility to TB, however, the -308 allele of the TNF-alpha gene does not affect differential TB susceptibility.