Lack of association between the IL13 variant Arg110Gln and susceptibility to cedar pollinosis in a Japanese population.
BACKGROUND
Interleukin (IL)-13 has come to be appreciated as a molecule critically involved in allergic inflammatory responses. Recent studies revealed that a common variant in the coding region of the IL13 gene, Arg110Gln, has been implicated in the development of asthma and atopy.


METHODS
To assess whether the IL13 variant Arg110Gln is associated with cedar pollinosis, one of the most common atopic diseases in the Japanese population, we examined the Arg110Gln variant using PCR-RFLP to compare the genotype and allele frequencies between 95 patients with cedar pollinosis and 95 healthy control subjects. Relationships between the Arg110Gln variant and the pollinosis-related traits, e.g. rhinitis severity, eosinophil counts in nasal secretion and serum total and allergen-specific IgE levels, were also investigated.


RESULTS
The frequencies of the minor allele Gln110 were 25.8% in patients with cedar pollinosis and 30.9% in healthy control subjects (p > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in the genotype frequencies between cases and controls (p > 0.05). In addition, we found no significant association of the Arg110Gln variant with any of the pollinosis-related phenotypes (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest lack of evidence for identifying the variant Arg110Glnat the IL13 locus as a genetic risk factor involved in the development of Japanese cedar pollinosis.
Cheng
Lei
L
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. teirai@hotmail.com
Hirota
Tomomitsu
T
Enomoto
Tadao
T
Tamari
Mayumi
M
Akahoshi
Mitsuteru
M
Matsuda
Akira
A
Shimizu
Makiko
M
Takahashi
Naomi
N
Enomoto
Keisuke
K
Yamasaki
Akiko
A
Mao
Xiao-Quan
XQ
Hopkin
Julian M
JM
Shirakawa
Taro
T
D001120:Arginine; D032485:Cryptomeria / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics*; D007564:Japan; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics
D018793:Interleukin-13; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D001120:Arginine