HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (12) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fukunaga, K. Articles by Yamaguchi, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fukunaga, K. Articles by Yamaguchi, K.

Genetic polymorphisms of CC chemokine receptor 3 in Japanese and British asthmatics

¹ Dept of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. ² Experimental Medicine Unit, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea, UK. ³ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

CORRESPONDENCE: K. Asano, Cardiopulmonary Division, Dept of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan. Fax: 81 333532502

This study was in part supported by Keio University Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Medical Scientists (KF), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Science, Education, and Culture of Japan (TS), and a research grant (JMH) from Mitsubishi Chemical Co. (Tokyo, Japan).

Whole genome scan analyses have revealed that chromosomal region 3p21–24, which contains a gene cluster of CC chemokine receptors such as CCR3, is possibly linked to asthma. Because CCR3 ligands play a pivotal role in the selective recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells in the asthmatic airway, the authors examined whether there is any association between asthma and the CCR3 gene polymorphisms.

Three polymorphisms were identified using the single stranded conformational polymorphism method in Japanese (Asian) and British (Caucasian) subjects; one silent mutation T51C and two missense mutations G824A and T971C. These polymorphisms were examined in 391 Japanese subjects (210 asthmatics and 181 nonasthmatic controls) and 234 British subjects (142 asthmatics and 92 nonasthmatic controls). Asthma diagnosis was based on episodic symptoms, documented wheeze, and the presence of reversible airflow limitation.

CCR3 T51C demonstrated a significant association with the diagnosis of asthma in the British population (odds ratio 2.35, p<0.01), but not in the Japanese population. Multiple logistic regression analysis also showed that CCR3 T51C was associated with asthma (odds ratio 2.83, p<0.02), independent of atopic phenotypes such as high levels of total or house dust mite-specific immunoglobulin-E in serum.

In conclusion, a significant association between asthma and CCR3 T51C polymorphism localized on chromosome 3p21 was found.

Keywords: association, atopy, chromosome 3, house dust mite, immunoglobulin E