ASSOCIATION OF THE FC-EPSILON-RI-BETA GENE WITH BRONCHIAL HYPERRESPONSIVENESS IN AN ITALIAN POPULATION

A study of two DNA polymorphisms (i2 RsaI, E237G) in the gene for the beta subunit of the IgE high affinity receptor (Fc epsilon RI beta) wa s performed in 168 Italian families with atopic asthmatic children. Th e prevalence of the E237G allele in the Italian population was 4%, so this polymorphism was unsuitable for this study. The i2 RsaI polymorph ism minor allele frequency was 44%, and it had a PIC value of 0.37. Li nkage analysis indicated a significant allele sharing in affected sib pairs for bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR, p=0.048), but not for a llergic asthma. These data indicate an association of bronchial hyper- responsiveness with the Fc epsilon RI beta gene.