Polymorphisms in the 5' region of the CD14 gene are associated with eczema in young children.
BACKGROUND
Variants in the CD14 gene (CD14) are hypothesized to be associated with atopic disorders. However, most studies have only investigated one polymorphism in this gene.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to study the association of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5' flanking region of CD14 with eczema and serum IgE levels in young children.


METHODS
We genotyped 5 SNPs in an approximately 6.5-kb region in the 5' region of CD14 in 344 2-year-old white children from 2 birth cohorts in the northeastern United States. We examined the relation of both single SNPs and haplotypes in CD14 with the atopic outcomes.


RESULTS
Two SNPs were significantly associated with eczema. In dominant models adjusted for potential confounders, SNP rs2569193 was associated with significantly decreased risk for eczema (odds ratio [OR] for CT/TT vs CC, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.8), whereas SNP rs2569190 (also reported as the C-159T) was associated with significantly increased risk for eczema (OR for CT/TT vs CC, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.4-3.8). The CT/TT genotypes of SNP rs2569190 also had higher geometric means of serum IgE than the CC genotype (24.6 vs 15 IU/mL, P = .025). Haplotype analyses provided results similar to those of the single SNP analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results contradict previous reports that have found a protective effect of the T allele of SNP rs2569190 (C-159T) against atopic disorders. Nevertheless, these results confirm the importance of polymorphisms in CD14 in the development of atopy, and future studies of this gene region will need to account for linkage disequilibrium and environmental exposures unique to the study population.
Litonjua
Augusto A
AA
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. augusto.litonjua@channing.harvard.edu
Belanger
Kathleen
K
Celedón
Juan C
JC
Milton
Donald K
DK
Bracken
Michael B
MB
Kraft
Peter
P
Triche
Elizabeth W
EW
Sredl
Diane L
DL
Weiss
Scott T
ST
Leaderer
Brian P
BP
Gold
Diane R
DR
D024506:5' Flanking Region / Q000235:genetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009511:New England; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044465:White People
D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D007073:Immunoglobulin E