Search for associations between polymorphic variants of human acid chitinase gene and bronchial asthma in children of Novosibirsk

High prevalence of bronchial asthma among the population (about 300 million people all over the world) provides rationale for the search for candidate genes of disease. Human acidic chitinase (CHIA (AMCase)), encoded by the CHIA gene, is involved in the degradation of chitin, a component of the fungal cell wall and arthropod exoskeleton, which, if present in food or house dust, is a provoking factor for the bronchial asthma (BA) development. Functionally significant mutations in the CHIA gene may apparently increase the risk of susceptibility to BA.Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12033184 and rs3806448 in the CHIA gene with bronchial asthma in children in Novosibirsk.Material and Methods. The study was organized as case-control. A total of 537 blood samples were used. SNPs were determined by real-time PCR. The associations of polymorphic variants with the disease were assessed by the odds ratio.Results. No associations of rs12033184 and rs3806448 with BA were found.Conclusion. The role of acidic chitinase gene in the development of BA in residents of Novosibirsk was found to be less significant than in the Indian population where it was previously shown to be associated with the disease.