title: The role of the C-C chemokine receptor-5 Delta32 polymorphism in asthma and in the production of regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are conflicting data regarding the role of a deletion in the C-C chemokine receptor-5 gene (CCR5*D32) in the pathogenesis of asthma and whether this deletion influences the production of regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES). RANTES is a chemokine that is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine whether CCR5*D32 is associated with increased RANTES production, the presence of asthma, and the severity of asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PCR assay for CCR5*D32 was developed. The prevalence of CCR5*D32 was determined in a group of patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, a group of subjects with severe asthma who had fatal or near-fatal asthma attacks, and a group of nonasthmatic control subjects. The level of RANTES produced by stimulated and unstimulated T cells was measured by using a commercially available immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of CCR5*D32 was not significantly increased in the severe asthma group compared with in the mild-to-moderate asthma group. CCR5*D32 was not increased in the asthmatic subjects versus in the control subjects. There was no significant increase in RANTES levels from T cells heterozygous for CCR5*D32 compared with wild-type cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that the CCR5*D32 allele is not a genetic risk factor for the development of asthma and does not influence disease severity. The CCR5*D32 allele does not influence RANTES production in the heterozygous state.
authors.affiliation: UBC McDonald Research Laboratories, St Paul's Hospital, and the Respiratory Division, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sandford
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Paré
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D019713:Receptors, CCR5