Polymorphism in the gene regulatory region of MCP-1 is associated with asthma susceptibility and severity.
BACKGROUND
Chemokines play an important role in the pathophysiology of asthma and allergy. Recently, polymorphisms in the gene regulatory region of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and in the promoter region of RANTES have been found; these polymorphisms increase the expression of the chemokines.


OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether the presence of the polymorphisms was associated with atopy or asthma and whether these alleles influenced the severity of asthma in affected individuals.


METHODS
Three groups of subjects-160 children with asthma (disease severity being classified according to the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, modified for children), 151 children with nonasthmatic but allergic phenotype, and 303 children without allergic or asthmatic disorders-were screened with a PCR-based assay for genotyping.


RESULTS
The frequency of the -2518G polymorphism in the gene regulatory region of MCP-1 was significantly higher in asthmatic children than in controls (P <.001; odds ratio [OR] = 2.0 [1.4-2.6]) and nonasthmatic atopic children (P <.001; OR = 2.0 [1.4-2.9]). The MCP-1 G/G genotype correlated with asthma severity. In asthmatic children, the MCP-1 -2518G allele was also associated with an increased blood eosinophil level. The promoter polymorphisms in the RANTES gene did not have a detectable effect on the susceptibility to asthma or allergy or on the blood eosinophil count.


CONCLUSIONS
In this cohort of children, there are associations between carrying G at -2518 of the MCP-1 gene regulatory region and the presence of asthma as well as between asthma severity and homozygosity for the G allele. In asthmatic children, the MCP-1 -2518G polymorphism correlated with increased eosinophil levels. This variant of MCP-1 might belong to the predictor gene set for asthma.
Szalai
C
C
Heim Pál Pediatric Hospital, Budapest, Hungary.
Kozma
G T
GT
Nagy
A
A
Bojszkó A
Krikovszky
D
D
Szabó
T
T
Falus
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007223:Infant; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*
D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D018946:Chemokine CCL5