Objective: To investigate the linkage between the polymorphisms of FcepsilonRI-beta gene and susceptibility of asthma in a Chinese population.
Methods: Thirty-two families with 192 samples and 122 cases of childhood asthma were studied. A coding variant of E237G was detected by PCR/XmnI restriction endonuclease digestion. Two RsaI polymorphic sites within non-coding region were tested by PCR/RsaI restriction endonuclease digestion.
Results: The allele frequencies for all three polymorphisms of FcepsilonRI-beta gene in the Chinese population were markedly different from those published results of Caucasians and Japanese. Comparing asthma family samples with normal control, we found that genotypes containing A allele within intron 2 polymorphic site were associated with asthma (P < 0.05, OR = 2.039). The level of total serum IgE showed significant difference among three genotypes of intron 2 polymorphic site (P < 0.05). The association between A allele and elevated total serum IgE was also significant (P < 0.05, RR = 1.361). We could not find any significant results from the other two polymorphisms, even in the coding variant E237G.
Conclusion: We were unable to confirm that the FcepsilonRI-beta gene was crucial to the susceptibility of asthma and atopy and did not contribute substantially to variation in IgE levels from both sample groups.