Variants in the glutamate-cysteine-ligase gene are associated with cystic fibrosis lung disease.

BACKGROUND

Chronic progressive lung disease is the most serious complication of cystic fibrosis (CF). Glutathione plays an important role in the protection of the CF lung against oxidant-induced lung injury.

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesized that a polymorphism in a novel candidate gene that regulates glutathione synthesis might influence CF lung disease.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, subjects were recruited from CF clinics in Seattle and multiple centers in Canada. We tested for an association between CF lung disease and a functional polymorphism in the glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) gene. Multiple linear regression was used to test for association between polymorphisms of GCLC and severity of CF lung disease while adjusting for age, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) genotype. Analysis was repeated for patients with CF stratified by CFTR genotype.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 440 subjects with CF participated in the study (51% male; mean [+/- SD] age, 26 +/- 11 yr; mean FEV(1), 62 +/- 28% predicted). In the total population, there was a trend toward an association between GCLC genotypes and CF lung disease (linear regression coefficient [SEM], 1.68 [1.0]; p = 0.097). In the stratified analysis, there was a highly significant association between GCLC genotype and CF lung function in subjects with a milder CFTR genotype (linear regression coefficient [SEM], 5.5 (1.7); p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with CF with a milder CFTR genotype, there is a strong association between functional polymorphisms of the GCLC gene and CF lung disease severity.