title: Association of interleukin-18 gene polymorphism with asthma in Chinese patients.
abstract: Like other allergic diseases, asthma results from multiple conditions. Asthmatic beginning and severity are mediated by both environmental and genetic factors. In asthma studies, important work is realization of the genetic background and identification of genetic factors resulting in asthma development and phenomena. Here, we investigated whether interleukin (IL)-18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are involved in Chinese asthma patients. IL-18 (IL-18) SNP was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction analysis in 201 patients with asthma and 60 normal controls. Significant differences were found in the genotype distribution of IL-18 SNP between asthma patients and controls (P=0.000003). Allelic frequency of the IL-18 gene distinguished asthma patients from controls (P=0.000066). The results revealed a significant difference between asthma patients and normal controls in IL-18 SNP and a statistical correlation between IL-18 polymorphisms (105A/C) and asthma formation. We concluded that Chinese who carry the C/C homozygote of the IL-18-105A/C gene polymorphism in coding regions may have a higher risk of developing asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wei-Yong
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Yuhsin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chang-Hai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chung-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fuu-Jen
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001249:Asthma / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18