Dhaouadi Tarak, Sfar Imen, Aounallah-Skhiri Hajer, Jendoubi-Ayed Saloua, Bouacha Hend, Ben Abdallah Taieb, Gorgi Yousr
Laboratory of Research in Immunology of Renal Transplantation and Immunopathology (LR03SP01), Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, El Manar University, Bd 9 Avril, 1006 Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia.
Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2013 Mar;12(1):29-36.
Chemokines and their receptors play an important role in the late inflammatory stage of asthma. In this study, we aimed to investigate polymorphisms of MCP-1 (CCL2), CCR2 and CCR5 which can affect qualitatively and/or quantitatively their production and thus influence both susceptibility and severity of asthma and its clinical and biological features.MCP-1 (A/G -2518), CCR2 (+/64I), CCR5 (G/A -59029) and CCR5 (∆32) polymorphisms were evaluated by PCR in 107 Tunisian patients with asthma and 169 healthy controls.No significant association was found between the four investigated polymorphisms and asthma. Nevertheless the haplotype MCP1AG/CCR2+/+ was significantly l ess frequent in patients (20.5%) compared to controls (32.5%) (p=0.03; OR=0.54; 95% CI: 0.29-0.98). Whereas no difference was observed in CCR2/CCR5 haplotypes between patients and controls. Analysis of polymorphisms with clinical and biological features showed that the concomitant presence of MCP-1G/CCR264I alleles was less frequent in severe forms (4.34%) compared to moderate disease (12%) but the difference was not significant (p=0.27). No association was observed between the four polymorphisms and the presence of atopic rhinitis or atopic conjunctivitis and an elevated rate of serum IgE over 200 IU/ml.Additional effects of MCP-1 and its receptor CCR2 polymorphisms seem to be involved in disease susceptibility to asthma in Tunisian patients; nevertheless they could be protective against its severe forms.
