[A study on the association between polymorphism of the interleukin-4 receptor alpha gene and bronchial asthma in a population of Han nationality].
OBJECTIVE
To detect the polymorphism of Ile50Val in the interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) alpha gene in a population of Han nationality, and to investigate the association between the polymorphism of Ile50Val and bronchial asthma.


METHODS
The Ile50Val polymorphism of the IL-4R alpha gene was genotyped by amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) in 103 asthmatic subjects and 62 controls of Han nationality who were from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University in the year 2002 - 2004.


RESULTS
The frequencies of the genotypes (Ile50/Ile50, Ile50/Val50, Val50/Val50) were respectively 32.0% (n = 33), 35.0% (n = 36) and 33.0% (n = 34) in the 103 asthmatic subjects and respectively 29.0% (n = 18), 37.1% (n = 23) and 33.9% (n = 21) in the 62 controls. No significant difference was found in the distributions of the genotypes (Ile50/Ile50, Ile50/Val50, Val50/Val50) between the asthmatic subjects and controls (chi(2) = 0.172, P > 0.05). The frequencies of alleles (Ile50, Val50) were respectively 49.5% and 50.5% in the asthmatic subjects and respectively 47.6% and 52.4% in the controls. No significant difference was observed in the allele frequency between the two groups (chi(2) = 0.116, P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that the Ile50Val polymorphism of IL-4R alpha gene exists in this population of Han nationality, but is not associated with bronchial asthma.
Tang
Yan
Y
Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Xu
Zhen-hua
ZH
Wu
Xiao-qin
XQ
Li
Yue-qin
YQ
Zhou
Tian-hong
TH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4