336 The Leukotriene C4 Synthase (A-444C) Promoter Polymorphism in Venezuelan Individuals with Asthma

BACKGROUND: Asthma affects approximately 300 million individuals of all ages and ethnic groups worldwide. Previous studies have reported weak associations between leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4S) promoter polymorphism with the asthma phenotype, bronchial responsiveness to methacholine, and the severity of asthma regardless of aspirin sensitivity. The aim of the present study was to study the association between leukotriene C4 synthase A–444C promoter polymorphism and susceptibility to asthma. METHODS: Whole blood was collected from 144 ethnically mixed Venezuelan subjects, classified in 2 groups: patients with asthma (n = 90) and healthy individuals (n = 54). The LTC4S A-444C polymorphism was analyzed by PCR-RFLP by using MspI restriction endonuclease. Frequencies were determined by direct counting and Fisher's exact test was applied to determine frequency differences between groups. RESULTS: No difference in the distribution of the frequencies LTC4S (A-444C) variants among control and patients was found. However, although no significant, the genotype AC of LTC4S was increased in control group (20%) compared with asthma patients (12%) (P = 0.09, OR = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.2181-1.3583). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that LTC4S polymorphisms are not associated with the development of asthma and further studies are needed to determine the role of genetic factors in this disease.