Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses indicated that p53 mRNA expression levels were lower in TB patients (the delta-delta CT values of p53 mRNA were − 3.262 ± 1.396 in healthy controls and 1.441 ± 5.499 in TB patients; p = 0.0033) (Fig. 6d). Here, TP53 is linked to tuberculosis.