title: Study of the association between -403G/A and -28C/G RANTES gene polymorphisms and asthma in Lebanon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a complex inflammatory condition often associated with bronchial hyper reactivity and atopy. Genetic and environmental factors are implicated in the etiopathogenesis of asthma. Regulated upon Activation Normal T- cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES) is a CC chemokine responsible for the recruitment of inflammatory cells, suggesting a possible role for this chemokine in asthma. Both -403A and -28G alleles of the RANTES promoter region were found to be associated with asthma/atopy in some but not all studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic influence of -403A and -28G alleles of the RANTES promoter region on the development of asthma in Lebanon.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case control study was conducted at Makassed Hospital, Beirut on 40 asthmatic patients and 38 healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  RANTES gene polymorphisms -403G/A and -28C/G alleles were genotyped using PCR-RFLP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies for the RANTES gene polymorphisms between asthmatic patients and controls were found. The difference of the -403 GA genotype frequency between patients and controls was not statisti-cally significant; (OR=0.8, 95% CI=0.2-2.3, P=0.8). Similarly, the difference of the A-allele frequencies between patients and con-trols was not significant (OR=0.824, CI=0.3-2.2, P=0.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show that RANTES gene promoter polymorphisms are not associated with asthma susceptibility in the Lebanese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nahas
authors.forename: Hana M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Fakhoury
authors.forename: Hania N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Chmaisse
authors.forename: Rajaa F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Makki