title: Self-Reported Allergic Rhinitis and/or Allergic Conjunctivitis Associate with IL13 rs20541 Polymorphism in Finnish Adult Asthma Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to observe factors associated with IL13 rs20541 polymorphism and other factors with or without allergic comorbidities such as subject-reported allergic rhinitis (AR) and/or allergic conjunctivitis (AC) symptoms in adult asthmatics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based sample of Finnish adult asthma patients (n = 1,156) and matched controls (n = 1,792) filled in a questionnaire. Asthma was diagnosed based on a typical history of asthma symptoms and lung function tests. Skin prick tests with 17 aeroallergens and blood tests including analysis of interleukin 13 (IL13) rs20541 (G/A) genotypes were performed for a subsample (n = 193).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of asthmatics reporting AR was 61.9% and reporting AC was 40.7%. After adjustments, the presence of the IL13 rs20541A- allele (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.42-6.58, p = 0.004) or multisensitization (adjusted OR 4.59, 95% CI 1.48-14.26, p = 0.008) was associated with AR/AC asthma. Nasal polyps and acetylsalicylic acid-exacerbated respiratory disease was also associated with AR/AC asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult AR/AC asthma could putatively be a phenotype, characterized by the presence of atopic and/or eosinophilic factors and a high prevalence of the IL13 rs20541A- allele. Studies on the mechanisms behind this and in other populations are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hatanpää Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ådjers
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luukkainen
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pekkanen
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hurme
authors.forename: Heini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huhtala
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renkonen
authors.forename: De Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mika J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toppila-Salmi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13