title: The interaction of the polymorphisms in transporter of antigen peptides (TAP) and lymphotoxin alpha (LT-alpha) genes and atopic diseases in the Czech population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transporter antigen peptide gene (TAP) products are involved in antigen processing. These genes, inducible by interferon gamma, as well as lymphotoxin alpha (LT-alpha), are located in the HLA region. Their involvement in immune response regulation makes them candidate atopy susceptibility genes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates a possible association between previously identified polymorphisms within the TAP-1 and LT-alpha genes and clinically manifested atopic diseases in the Czech population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Caucasian subjects of Czech nationality (n = 427) were included in our study. We examined 184 healthy controls and 243 patients with histories of atopic asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis or their combinations. We used the amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction to determine TAP-1 gene polymorphisms. LT-alpha genotypes were determined by PCR and restriction analysis by NcoI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found in allele or genotype frequencies of the LT-alpha gene, as well as in polymorphisms for Val-->Ile at codon 333 and Gly-->Asp at codon 637 in the TAP-1 gene between controls and patients. However, analysis of the concurrence of the double genotypes of the TAP-1 polymorphism at codon 333 and the LT-alpha genes showed differences between controls and atopic patients (P < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several reports have indicated that different HLA products and genes may be risk factors for or protective factors against the development of atopy. We report no association between polymorphisms in the LT-alpha and TAP-1 genes alone and atopic diseases in the central Europe Caucasian (Czech) population, but there was an interesting interaction between the TAP333 and LT-alpha polymorphisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathological Physiology, Medical Faculty, Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic. holla@med.muni.cz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Izakovicová Hollá
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasků
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Izakovic
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Znojil
mesh_terms: D000071181:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000235:genetics*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D000071181:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2; D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D003062:Codon; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; C073119:TAP1 protein, human