Candidate genetic polymorphisms for asthma in Chinese schoolchildren from Hong Kong.
BACKGROUND
Polymorphisms in several genes have been associated with asthma, atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in white and Japanese populations. In this study we tested for associations of 11 polymorphisms with wheeze and asthma in 10-year-old Chinese schoolchildren.


METHODS
The subjects were 107 children who had wheeze in the last 12 months and 118 without wheeze in the last 12 months. They were randomly selected from 3110 children who took part in Phase II of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. These schoolchildren underwent questionnaire, spirometry and methacholine challenge testing.


RESULTS
The A allele of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFA) G-308A polymorphism was significantly associated with wheeze in the last 12 months (odds ratio [OR] 2.1, P = 0.04) and current asthma (OR 2.6, P = 0.006). When stratified by gender, these associations were only seen in the female study participants. In girls, the OR for the TNFA-308A allele and wheeze in the last 12 months was 3.6 (P = 0.01) and for current asthma it was 6.0 (P = 0.0006).


CONCLUSIONS
The A allele of the TNFA G-308A polymorphism was a risk factor for asthma-related phenotypes in girls but not boys.
Sandford
A J
AJ
Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. asandford@mrl.ubc.ca
Chan
H W
HW
Wong
G W K
GW
Lai
C K W
CK
Chan-Yeung
M
M
D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000235:genetics*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha