Role of Genetic Polymorphisms

Chemokines contribute to the asthmatic airway inflammation by acting on endothelial cells, eosinophils, basophils, and monocytes. Chemokines are a complex super family of small, secreted proteins that were initially characterized through their chemotractic effects on variety of leucocytes. The expression of multiple chemokines and their role in the recruitment of mononuclear cells has been reviewed for a number of human diseases with an inflammatory component including multiple sclerosis, chronic bronchitis, sarcoidosis, asthma and arteriosclerosis (Baggiolini et al., 2001). Possible associations between CCR5¿32, CCR2V64I, CCR3Y17Y, and the RANTES-G403A promoter and asthma and related phenotypes were investigated with high-risk families.