MedWire News: Results from a genetic association study
suggest that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the fibrous
sheath interacting protein 1 gene (FSIP1) is associated with
an increased risk for aspirin intolerance in asthma patients.
"Aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA) was first described in 1922,
and its most noticeable symptoms include aspirin sensitivity,
bronchial asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis,"
write Hyoung Doo Shin (Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)
and team in the journal BMC pulmonary Medicine.
The researchers explain that the primary function of
FSIP1 concerns protein binding and it is expressed in airway
epithelium. It has been reported that FSIP1 is regulated by
amyloid beta precursor protein (APP), which is an integral membrane
protein expressed in many tissues, and that APP is cleaved by alpha
disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33), which is an
asthma susceptibility gene.
"Based on these findings, we hypothesized FSIP1 gene
could have an effect on the mechanism of aspirin on the various
levels, including onset of AIA," they say.
To investigate, Doo Shin et al genotyped 163 Korean
patients with AIA and 429 with aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA) for 66
SNPs in the FSIP1 gene.
After accounting for age, gender, smoking, atopy, and body mass
index, initial analysis indicated that 18 SNPs and four haplotypes
were associated with AIA.
However, after correction for multiple testing, only one
FSIP1 SNP - rs7179742 - remained significantly associated
with an increased risk for AIA, at an odds ratio of 1.63.
"Our findings suggest that FSIP1 gene might be a
susceptibility gene for aspirin intolerance in asthmatics,"
conclude Doo Shin and team.
"Although the relation between the FSIP1 gene and AIA is
not yet clearly understood… FSIP1-related regulations
of APP and ADAM33 may play a role [in] the development of
aspirin hypersensitivity in asthmatics, along with the fact that
FSIP1 is expressed in airway epithelium."
They add that further research is needed "to discover more about
the role of FSIP1 gene and also the relation between the
gene and various diseases including AIA."
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service provided by Current Medicine Group, a trading division of
Springer Healthcare Limited. © Springer Healthcare Ltd;
2010
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