Asthma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asthma, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, medications. | ||||||||
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IL-18 gene polymorphisms affect IL-18 production capability by monocytes.Arimitsu J, Hirano T, Higa S, Kawai M, Naka T, Ogata A, Shima Y, Fujimoto M, Yamadori T, Hagiwara K, Ohgawara T, Kuwabara Y, Kawase I, Tanaka T Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Rheumatic Diseases, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. We previously demonstrated a significant association between IL-18 gene polymorphism 105A/C and asthma. In this study, we investigated the relationship of IL-18 gene polymorphism to IL-18 production capability by monocytes. The frequency of gene polymorphisms including IL-18-105A/C and IL-18--137G/C was determined by PCR analyses. The IL-18 production by monocytes stimulated without or with LPS or A23187+PMA for 1day was measured by ELISA. The produced IL-18 spontaneously or in response to A23187+PMA by monocytes was significantly higher for volunteers with 105A/A genotype than with 105A/C genotype. Similarly, the production capability of IL-18 by monocytes from volunteers with -137G/G genotype was significantly higher than that with -137G/C genotype and significant linkage disequilibrium was observed between 105A/C and -137G/C polymorphism. Thus, the genetic capacity to produce more IL-18 in response to stimuli may affect the onset of asthma. Published 14 March 2006 in Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 342(4): 1413-6.
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