NRAMP1 is not associated with asthma, atopy, and serum immunoglobulin E levels in the French Canadian population.
Reduced infection by mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, may be partly responsible for increased prevalence of allergic and autoimmune diseases in developed countries. In a murine model of innate resistance to mycobacteria, the Nramp1 gene has been shown to affect asthma susceptibility. From this observation, it was proposed that human NRAMP1 may be a modulator of asthma risk in human populations. To experimentally test the candidacy of NRAMP1 in asthma susceptibility, we characterized five genetic variants of NRAMP1 (5'CAn, 274C>T, 469+14G>C, D543N, and 1729+del4) in an asthma family-based cohort from northeastern Quebec. We did not observe any significant association between NRAMP1 variants (either allele or haplotype specific) with asthma, atopy, or serum immunoglobulin E levels. These results demonstrate that, in spite of direct involvement of Nramp1 in a murine asthma model, in human populations NRAMP1 is not likely to be a major contributor to the genetic etiology of asthma and asthma-related phenotypes.
McGill Centre for the Study of Host Resistance, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
A H
AH
Poon
C
C
Laprise
M
M
Lemire
T J
TJ
Hudson
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E
Schurr
D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D002170:Canada; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000235:genetics*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D000099173:Natural Resistance-associated Macrophage Protein 1
D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000099173:Natural Resistance-associated Macrophage Protein 1