Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms of MD-1 gene with pediatric and adult asthma in the Taiwanese population

Background and Purpose: MD-1 (myeloid differentiation 1; also known as Ly86, lymphocyte antigen 86), interacting with radioprotective 105, plays an important role in the Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway. It has been suggested that MD-1 is involved in the development of inflammation and atopic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MD-1 and asthma in the Taiwanese population. Methods: Genotyping 34 SNPs in the MD-1 gene region was performed in a case-control study involving 281 children with asthma and 237 controls. A further 309 children and adults were genotyped for the SNP rs7740529 only, for validation of an identified association. Results: In intron 1, we identified an SNP, rs7740529, which is associated with asthma in Taiwanese children (p=0.0358). Inclusion of a further 309 subjects increased the significance of the association (p=0.0093), and also demonstrated that rs7740529 is associated with adult asthma. The TT genotype confers risk of both pediatric and adult asthma. Conclusion: These results suggest that MD-1 could be a susceptible gene for asthma in the Taiwanese population.