Linkage between bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and gene markers of IL-4 cytokine gene cluster and T-cell receptor alpha/delta gene complex in Korean nuclear families.
BACKGROUND
Several candidate genes have been reported to be linked to intermediate phenotypes of asthma in Caucasian populations.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate linkage between phenotypes of asthma and gene markers of high affinity IgE receptor-beta gene (D11S97), IL-4 cytokine gene cluster (IL-4R1), and T-cell receptor alpha/delta gene complex (D14S50) in Korean nuclear families.


METHODS
Nuclear families (127 probands and their 130 siblings) for the linkage analysis were ascertained through asthmatic children. Linkages between total serum IgE response, skin responses to common aeroallergens, and bronchial responsiveness to methacholine were performed using a sib-pair approach.


RESULTS
The square difference of the slope of the dose-response curve (DRS) between sib-pairs with two IL-4R1 identical alleles was smaller than with one or with neither IL-4R1 identical allele (P = 0.004). As for D14S50, the differences of DRS between sib-pairs with two identical alleles and with one identical allele were smaller than with neither identical alleles (P = 0.01). As for D11S97, no significant differences were observed among the groups with identical alleles of two, one or zero. With regard to total serum IgE levels, no significant linkage was found between this phenotype and the above three gene markers. As for skin responses to common aeroallergens, significant evidence was obtained to establish a linkage between this phenotype and the marker IL-4R1 (P = 0.01). However, no significant linkage was found between this phenotype and the markers D11S97 and D14S50.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of bronchial responsiveness to methacholine may be influenced by genetic factors in the IL-4 cytokine gene cluster and/or T-cell receptor alpha/delta gene complex, but the genetic influence of the FcepsilonRI-beta gene may be minimal in the expression of bronchial responsiveness in Korean nuclear families.
Cho
S H
SH
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea.
Son
J W
JW
Koh
Y Y
YY
Min
K U
KU
Kim
Y Y
YY
Kim
Y K
YK
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 / Q000235:genetics; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 / Q000235:genetics; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009679:Nuclear Family; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E