title: The interleukin 4 receptor gene and its role in recurrent airway obstruction in Swiss Warmblood horses.
abstract: Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses is the result of an interaction of genetic and environmental factors and shares many characteristics with human asthma. Many studies have suggested that the interleukin-4 receptor gene (IL4R) is associated with this disease, and a QTL region on chromosome 13 containing IL4R was previously detected in one of the two Swiss Warmblood families. We sequenced the entire IL4R gene in this family and detected 93 variants including five non-synonymous protein-coding variants. The allele distribution at these SNPs supported the previously detected QTL signal. Subsequently, we investigated IL4R mRNA expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells. During exacerbation, IL4R expression was increased in RAO-affected offspring in the implicated family, but not in the other family. These findings support that IL4R plays a role in some cases of RAO.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland. jolanta.klukowska@vetsuisse.unibe.ch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klukowska-Rötzler
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Swinburne
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drögemüller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dolf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leeb
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gerber
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004777:Environment; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006736:Horses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4