title: Association of ADAM33 gene polymorphisms with asthma in a Chinese population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asthma is a very common disease involving genetic and environmental factors. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33) has been one of the most exciting candidate genes for asthma since its first association with the disease in the white population. Recently, studies on the association of ADAM33 gene polymorphisms with the risk of asthma have been controversial. We therefore focused on testing the hypothesis that either single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ADAM33 gene may be associated with asthma risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential relationship between polymorphisms of ADAM33 and asthma in a Han population in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case control study was conducted in a Han population of eastern Chinese population. A total of 329 asthma patients and a control group of 316 healthy volunteers were recruited for this study. Four polymorphic sites (F+1, S2, T2 and V4) were selected for genotyping. Genotypes were determined by the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction with fluorescence melting curves and DNA sequencing method. Data were analysed using the chi-squared test software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significant differences in the distributions of the S2 site between patients and controls were observed (χ2=7.140, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results suggest an association between ADAM33 polymorphisms S2 C/G and asthma in a Chinese Han population. The SNPs (F+1 C/T, T2 G/A and V4 C/G) of the ADAM33 gene may be the causal variants in asthma disease, but the strength of this evidence is limited by our small sample size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare, Provincial Hospital affiliated with Shandong University, Jinan, China. chixiangyu7216@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Xiangyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Laicheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuequn
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D018401:Sample Size; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D051722:ADAM Proteins; C450441:ADAM33 protein, human