Association of severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis with interleukin-4 and interleukin-4 receptor alpha polymorphisms.
The association of variants of genes encoding interleukin (IL)-4 and the IL-4 receptor alpha chain (IL-4Ralpha) with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis was examined in hospitalized infants. Polymorphisms in IL-4 (C-590T) and IL-4Ralpha (I50V and Q551R) were genotyped by restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis. Control subjects included parents of the hospitalized children (for the transmission/disequilibrium test), and a random population sample (for the case-control study). Results were also analyzed in a combination of these 2 tests, using Fisher's method. The IL-4 590T allele was found more frequently among children hospitalized with RSV than expected in the case-control (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; P=.04) and combination (OR, 1.41; P=.02) tests. Among children who were >6 months old when they were hospitalized, compared with the control group or with the <6 months old who were hospitalized for RSV infection, higher frequencies of both the IL-4 590T allele and the IL-4Ralpha R551 allele were found. These results indicate that gain-of-function variants of T helper type 2 cytokine genes may play a role in increasing the severity of RSV disease, which appears more pronounced after the first half-year of life.
Hoebee
Barbara
B
Laboratory for Health Effects Research, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. B.Hoebee@rivm.nl
Rietveld
Edwin
E
Bont
Louis
L
Oosten
Marijke van
Mv
Hodemaekers
Hennie M
HM
Nagelkerke
Nico J D
NJ
Neijens
Herman J
HJ
Kimpen
Jan L L
JL
Kimman
Tjeerd G
TG
D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D018793:Interleukin-13; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D015847:Interleukin-4