Association study of promoter polymorphisms within the NOS3 gene and allergic diseases.
BACKGROUND
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important mediator of physiologic and pathologic processes in the airways. On this basis, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in the NOS3 gene could be associated with the disease process.


METHODS
Two promoter variants (-786C/T and -691C/T) were examined in a Caucasian Czech population of allergic patients [n = 671, with a subgroup of asthmatics (n = 305)] and healthy controls (n = 334) using PCR-RFLP analyses.


RESULTS
NOS3 -786C/T and -691C/T were not associated with allergic diseases or asthma. However, the -786 variant was significantly associated with asthma in men (p < 0.01, p(corr) < 0.05) but not in women. NOS3 -691C/T was found to be in strong linkage disequilibrium with -786C/T, and the distribution of combined genotypes was marginally different between the asthmatic and control men.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that NOS3 gene variants may be one of the factors that participate in the pathogenesis of asthma in men.
Holla
Lydie Izakovicova
LI
Department of Pathophysiology, Medical Faculty, Masaryk University Brno, Brno, Czech Republic. holla@med.muni.cz
Stejskalova
Andrea
A
Znojil
Vladimír
V
Vasku
Anna
A
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III