title: A novel tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) polymorphism associated with asthma in Australian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Airway remodelling is a characteristic feature of chronic asthma and there is evidence that an airway imbalance between levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) is associated with airway remodelling. On this basis, we hypothesised that polymorphisms in the MMP-9 and TIMP-1 genes were associated with the disease process.
  
  
  METHODS
  A number of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 gene polymorphisms were examined in an adult white Australian population of mild (n = 259), moderate (n = 213) and severe (n = 71) asthmatics and non-asthmatic controls (n = 406) using PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMP-9 -1562C>T and 836G>A (Arg279Gln) were not associated with asthma (p> or =0.15) or asthma severity (p> or =0.13), and TIMP-1 434T>C (Phe124Phe) was not associated with asthma in women (p = 0.094) or men (p = 0.207). In this population, MMP-9 -861C>T and TIMP-1 323C>T (Pro87Pro) were not informative (with minor allele frequencies of <1%), and MMP-9 -1702T>A and TIMP-1 595C>T (Ser178Phe) were not detectable. However, a novel polymorphism was detected in the TIMP-1 gene 536C>T (Ile158Ile) which was significantly associated with asthma in women (p = 0.011; OR = 5.54, 95% CI 1.66 to 34.4) but not in men (p = 1.0). 536C>T was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with 434T>C, and haplotype analysis supported an association with asthma (p = 0.014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first reported association between a polymorphism in the TIMP-1 gene and asthma, and supports the hypothesis that the protease/antiprotease balance has an important role in this common disease.
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Allergy Research Institute, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lose
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: M-A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kedda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9