title: Polymorphisms in the IL-4 and IL-4R [alpha] genes and allergic asthma.
abstract: Allergic asthma is caused by genetic and environmental factors that interact to determine disease susceptibility and severity. Several lines of evidence suggest that the interleukin (IL-4 gene and the IL-4-receptor alpha (IL-4Ralpha) gene are involved in the development of atopic diseases. We sought to determine whether two polymorphism sites in IL-4 and IL-4Ralpha chain were associated with allergic asthma in a Chinese population. We obtained DNA and clinical data from allergic asthma patients, which were compared with those of a group of healthy control subjects. The subjects were genotyped for the IL-4 C-590T promoter polymorphism and the IL-4R alpha chain Q576R by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The results showed that the IL-4 C-590T was not associated with allergic asthma in a Chinese population. However, the IL-4R alpha chain 576R/R was significantly increased in allergic asthma patients compared with control subjects (chi2 = 21.16; p < 0.01), and also total plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) level was increased in allergic asthma patients. These data suggest that the IL-4R alpha chain 576R/R genotypes confer genetic susceptibility to allergic asthma in Chinese.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. of China. Tianpencui@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Tianpen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shixiu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Jungang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D002681:China; D005060:Europe; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D015847:Interleukin-4