Interleukin-4 C-590T polymorphism is associated with protection against nasal polyps in a Korean population.
BACKGROUND
Although many studies have implicated interleukin (IL)-4 promoter polymorphisms as potential determinants of disease susceptibility, there are no reports on the association between IL-4 promoter polymorphisms and nasal polyps. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between an IL-4 promoter polymorphism and nasal polyps.


METHODS
The C-590T promoter polymorphism of the IL-4 gene was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in 106 Korean chronic rhinosinusitis patients with or without nasal polyps and 70 healthy Korean subjects.


RESULTS
The frequency of the T allele at position -590 of the IL-4 gene in a Korean population was 0.85, which was significantly higher than those of other ethnic groups, and the T/T allele at position -590 of IL-4 was associated with protection against nasal polyps if compared with the C/C allele (relative risk, 0.529; 95% confidence interval, 0.307-0.912; p = 0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
T-590, which is dominant at position -590 of the IL-4 promoter, appears to be associated with a protective mechanism against nasal polyps in Korean populations.
Yea
Sung Su
SS
Department of Biochemistry, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea. ssyea@inje.ac.kr
Yang
Young-Il
YI
Park
Seong Kook
SK
Jang
Won Hee
WH
Lee
Sang Seop
SS
Seog
Dae-Hyun
DH
Park
Yeong-Hong
YH
Chun
Jin Ho
JH
D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics*; D007723:Korea; D009298:Nasal Polyps / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044382:Population Groups / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
D015847:Interleukin-4