Genetic predisposition to wheeze following respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

Journal article

BACKGROUND: The nature of the association between severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis and subsequent wheezing remains unknown. In a previous study, we showed that genetic variation in the IL-8-promoter region is associated with susceptibility to severe bronchiolitis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between wheezing post-bronchiolitis and the genetic variant of IL-8 gene. METHODS: We collected data from 134 children who had suffered from bronchiolitis, enrolled in our previous study. The occurrence of wheezing post-bronchiolitis was recorded from a questionnaire sent by post. The association between the genotype and wheezing phenotype was assessed by family-based and case-control approaches. RESULTS: Family-based association showed that the IL-8 variant was transmitted significantly more often than expected in the children who wheezed after the episode of bronchiolitis (transmission=56%, P=0.02). This effect was not observed in the group of children who had bronchiolitis but did not go on to wheeze. Moreover, the variant was significantly more frequent in post-bronchiolitis wheezers compared with the general population (odds ratio=1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.0-2.6). CONCLUSION: These preliminary results suggest that there is a genetic predisposition to wheeze following severe RSV bronchiolitis.

Authors: Goetghebuer, T; Isles, K; Moore, C; Thomson, A; Kwiatkowski, D

• Journal: Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 801-803
• Publication date: 2004-05-01
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.1947.x
• EISSN: 1365-2222
• ISSN: 0954-7894
• Language: English
• Keywords: Genotype; Interleukin-8; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Chi-Square Distribution; Alleles; Bronchiolitis, Viral; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Sounds; Child; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Male; Case-Control Studies