Chemokine RANTES promoter polymorphisms in allergic rhinitis.

Abstract

RANTES is one of the most widely studied of the chemokines linked to allergic diseases. Two polymorphisms of the RANTES promoter region (-403 G/A and -28 C/G) have been found. The authors investigated whether these RANTES promoter polymorphisms were associated with allergic rhinitis. Case-control study. Blood samples for genetic analysis were obtained from 151 individuals with allergic rhinitis and from 278 healthy individuals without atopic disease. Polymerase chain reaction-based assays for detection of the -403 G/A and -28 C/G polymorphisms of the RANTES gene were used for genotyping. The frequencies of both the RANTES -403A and -28G alleles were significantly higher in patients with allergic rhinitis than in control subjects (P <.05 for both). The study results indicated that the -403 and -28 alleles in the RANTES promoter region belong to the predictor gene set for allergic rhinitis and could be used in genomic analysis.