Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with the -1055 IL-13 promoter polymorphism

• Published in: Genes and immunity Vol. 3; no. 7; pp. 436 - 439
• Main Authors: van der Pouw Kraan, T C T M, Küçükaycan, M, Bakker, A M, Baggen, J M C, van der Zee, J S, Dentener, M A, Wouters, E F M, Verweij, C L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01-11-2002
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Airway management; Asthma; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Female; Gene polymorphism; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Health aspects; Humans; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Interleukin 13; Interleukin 4; Interleukin-13 - genetics; Lung diseases; Lung diseases, Obstructive; Lungs; Male; Middle Aged; Obstructive lung disease; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Promoters (Genetics); Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - genetics; Pulmonology; Respiratory function; Risk factors; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1466-4879; 1476-5470
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.gene.6363896

IL-13 is strongly implicated in the development of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We previously identified an IL-13 promoter polymorphism (-1055 C to T) that is associated with allergic asthma. We now report an increased frequency of the -1055 T allele in COPD patients compared to healthy controls (P=0.002) and compared to a second control group consisting of smoking individuals with normal lung function (P=0.01). A closely linked IL-13 exon polymorphism is present at normal allelic frequencies (P=0.3 and 0.4, respectively). In addition, we observed a normal distribution of two IL-4 polymorphisms at positions -590 and +33 (P=0.2 and 0.9, respectively). These results could implicate a functional role for the IL-13 promoter polymorphism in the enhanced risk to develop COPD.