title: Association of interferon-gamma and interferon regulatory factor 1 polymorphisms with asthma in a family-based association study in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a multi-factorial disorder caused by complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. IFN-gamma and IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) affect Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, and influence the differentiation of Th2 cells, which influence the development of asthma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated CA repeats polymorphism of the IFN-gamma gene and GT repeats polymorphism of the IRF-1 gene, which may predispose individuals to asthma pathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we used the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) to investigate the relationship between asthma and the IFN-gamma and IRF-1 polymorphisms by studying 348 subjects composed of 232 parents and 116 asthmatic children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For global TDT test, IFN-gamma CA repeats and IRF-1 GT repeat polymorphisms showed a significant association with asthma in children (P=0.009 and 0.017, respectively). We demonstrated that 13 CA repeats (138 bp) of IFN-gamma gene and 11 GT repeats (306 bp) of IRF-1 gene are significantly preferentially transmitted to asthmatic children (T/NT=89/61, chi2=8.43, P<0.005 and T/NT=75/49, chi2=8.18, P<0.005, respectively). The offspring will have an increased risk of asthma when their parents transmit IFN-gamma 13 CA repeats (OR=1.83, P=0.009) and IRF1 11 GT repeats (OR=1.88, P=0.007) to them. But we observed that the IFN-gamma and IRF-1 polymorphisms are not associated with IgE concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings provide strong evidence of which IFN-gamma CA repeat and IRF-1 GT repeat polymorphisms influence the risk of asthma for children in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T-N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y-T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: W-Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: W-W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: N-H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsiang
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: C494257:IRF1 protein, human; D050856:Interferon Regulatory Factor-1; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma