Subtle mutations in immune gene may increase asthma risk

Washington, July 1 (ANI): A gene responsible for determining whether certain immune cells live or die shows subtle differences in some people with asthma, as per a new study.

The gene encodes a protein called Siglec-8 present on the surfaces of a few types of immune cells. Usually they protect the body and keep it healthy, but can cause harm in allergic conditions.

Bruce S. Bochner, director of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues found that natural sugar-based molecules in the body coated on the protein causes the immune cells to die.

However, to test whether mutation in the gene could increase the risk for asthma, the team conducted a study wherein they found that rs36498, single nucleotide polymorphisms was associated with a significantly higher susceptibility to asthma.

"Our results suggest these mutations in the Siglec-8 gene may play a role in asthma. It's reasonable to assume that efforts to target Siglec-8 might be able to influence this disease and others associated with eosinophils," says Bochner.

The findings appear in the June European Journal of Human Genetics. (ANI)