Asthma Risk Increases With Mutations in Immune Gene

A gene that decides the life of certain immune cells mutates in some people who have asthma, according to 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.

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It's a lung condition characterized by inflammation of the bronchi and constriction of the airways that result in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness. Allergy and other airway irritants can trigger it

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.

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Respiratory diseases affect any part of the respiratory system. Some of the lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to respiratory failure.

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

Source-ANI

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