title: Association between beta2-adrenergic receptor genetic polymorphisms and total serum IgE in asthmatic patients of Chinese Han nationality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  beta(2)-Adrenergic receptor (beta(2)-AR) polymorphisms occurring at amino acid position 16 (Arg-Gly) and 27 (Gln-Glu) are known to be functionally relevant and also disease-modifying in subjects with asthma. It has been found in Caucasoid asthmatic patients that the Gln27 genotype beta(2)-AR was associated with an increase in total serum IgE levels. The association between beta(2)-AR genetic polymorphisms and total serum IgE in asthmatic patients of Chinese Han nationality remains to be established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  It was the aim of this study to investigate the association between beta(2)-AR genetic polymorphisms and total serum IgE in asthmatic patients of Chinese Han nationality.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 59 asthmatic patients investigated (27 males and 32 females, aged between 16 and 60 years) were people of Chinese Han nationality. They were tested for their total serum IgE levels with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, and beta(2)-AR genetic polymorphisms were tested with the polymerase chain reaction allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference of serum IgE levels among three beta(2)-AR 27 loci groups (p < 0.0001), with the highest IgE level [(1.24 +/- 0.25) x 10(6) IU/l] in the Gln/Gln group and the lowest IgE level [(0.48 +/- 0.06) x 10(6) IU/l] in the Glu/Glu group. No polymorphism of beta(2)-AR 16 loci was found to be associated with total serum IgE (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our research suggested that in asthmatic patients of Chinese Han nationality, the beta(2)-AR genetic polymorphism at 27 loci could be associated with serum IgE levels and it might therefore play an important role in the determination of phenotypes of bronchial asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xi-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kai-Sheng
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002681:China; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D007073:Immunoglobulin E