title: The association between adult asthma and superoxide dismutase and catalase gene activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adult asthma is caused by interaction effects of multiple genetic and environmental factors. Some studies have suggested that antioxidant enzyme activity and gene polymorphisms may play important roles in the context of asthma. Therefore, our study objectives were to investigate the association between asthma, antioxidant activities and the polymorphisms of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) or catalase (CAT).
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study, for which we recruited 250 asthmatic adults and 250 age- and sex-matched controls. All subjects completed a questionnaire. Waist and hip circumference measurements, a lung function test and DNA genotyping were performed. In total, 50 incident cases and 50 matched controls who were non-smokers or had quit smoking for at least 1 year were selected in order to investigate SOD and CAT activity levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study, we did not find a significant association between Mn-SOD Ala16Val, CAT C-262T and asthma. The level of SOD activity in new-onset asthma patients was significantly lower than in control subjects (p < 0.0005). The level of CAT activity in new-onset asthma patients was significantly higher than in control subjects (p < 0.0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of SOD and CAT activity were significantly related to adult asthma. SOD and CAT activity may be good tools to differentiate potential asthma sufferers. This would enable us to further investigate the mechanism of defective antioxidant enzymes in the context of asthma pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, No. 100 Shih-Chuan 1 Road, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Li-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Shyan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chi-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Tung-Heng
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Meng-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chao-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chin-Chou
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shao-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Tsu-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Yen-Hsiung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ying-Chin
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Tsu-Nai
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002374:Catalase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase