Mannose-binding lectin 2 gene polymorphisms and predisposition to allergic bronchial asthma in a western Romanian children population: an observational study.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse: (1) the associations between different mannose-binding lectin 2 () genotypes and susceptibility to bronchial asthma (BA) in Romanian children; and (2) the correlations between several patient sociodemographic variables and polymorphisms.

METHODS

This prospective observational case-control study included paediatric patients with symptomatic BA and healthy controls. Participants were genotyped for two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): exon 1 codon 54 A/B variant rs1800450, and -550 promoter H/L variant rs11003125 (GenBank accession). Associations between genotypes and susceptibility to BA were determined by calculated odds ratios, and Kendall Tau's correlations were used to investigate the associations between sociodemographic variables and SNPs.

RESULTS

Among 59 patients with BA and 65 healthy controls, associations between polymorphisms and susceptibility to BA were not found to be statistically significant. Statistically significant weak positive correlations were found between age at diagnosis and A/B genotype, and between the smoking status of biologically male and female parents. A statistically significant weak inverse association was found between male parent smoking status and family history of BA.

CONCLUSION

These results may help guide future research into paediatric BA in Romania and Eastern Europe. Due to study limitations, the results require validation in future large-scale studies.