Beta-catenin promoter polymorphism is associated with asthma risk in Korean subjects

Objectives: The effects of beta-catenin promoter haplotypes on its mRNA expression levels and asthma risks were investigated in Korean subjects. Design and methods: The genotype analyses were conducted by a Taqman method for 684 Korean subjects, 400 controls and 284 with asthma. Measurement of mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood nucleated cells were conducted on subjects whose buffy coat fractions were available (n=185). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the associations of the beta-catenin promoter haplotypes with asthma risks. Results: Four SNPs, -10,288C>T (rs7630377), -6,426C>G (rs9859392), -4,361G>C (rs9870255), and -765G>A (rs3864004), were identified in the promoter region of the beta-catenin gene, and three common haplotypes were constructed from them. Haplotype ht1 [CCGG] was associated with decreased beta-catenin mRNA expression levels and a lower asthma risk with an odds ratio of 0.53, while ht2[TGCA] was associated with increased mRNA expression levels and a higher asthma risk with an odds ratio of 2.34. Ht3[TCGG] had no significant effects on both. Conclusions: Our findings show that beta-catenin promoter polymorphism affects its mRNA expression levels, and also is significantly associated with the asthma risk of Korean subjects. (C) 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.