Lack of association between CD28/CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms and atopic asthma in the Japanese population

Atopic asthma occurs in genetically susceptible individuals in the presence of environmental factors. Recently, the costimulation signal from CD80-CD8 6 to CD28/CTLA-4 has been suggested to play an important role in the develo pment of atopic asthma. In the present study, we analyzed three polymorphic regions within the CTLA-4 gene, an A/G substitution in exon 1 position 49, a C/T base exchange in the promoter position -318 and an (AT)n repeat poly morphism in the 3'-untranslated region of exon 4, and a CD28 gene polymorph ism with a T/C substitution in intron 3 position +17 in 120 patients with a topic asthma and 200 normal controls. The polymorphism frequencies of CTLA- 4/CD28 genes in patients did not differ from those in normal controls. Thus , the present study was unable to reveal any association between CTLA-4/CD2 8 gene polymorphisms and atopic asthma in the Japanese population. Copyrigh t (C) 2000 S. Karger AG. Basel.