mcp-1, ccr2 and ccr5 polymorphisms in tunisian patients with atopic asthma.

chemokines and their receptors  play an important  role in the  late inflammatory stage of asthma. in this study, we aimed to investigate polymorphisms of mcp-1 (ccl2), ccr2 and ccr5 which can affect qualitatively and/or quantitatively their production and thus influence both susceptibility and severity of asthma and its clinical and biological features. mcp-1   (a/g   -2518),  ccr2   (+/64i),   ccr5   (g/a   -59029)  and   ccr5   (∆32)polymorphisms were evaluated by pcr in 107 tunisian patients with asthma and 169 healthy controls. no  significant association  was  found  between  the  four  investigated  polymorphisms and   asthma.   nevertheless   the   haplotype   mcp1*ag/ccr2*+/+   was  significantly  l ess frequent in patients (20.5%) compared to controls (32.5%) (p=0.03; or=0.54; 95% ci:0.29-0.98). whereas  no  difference  was  observed  in  ccr2/ccr5   haplotypes  between patients and controls. analysis of polymorphisms with clinical and biological features showed that   the   concomitant   presence  of   mcp-1*g/ccr2*64i  alleles  was  less  frequent   in severe forms  (4.34%) compared  to  moderate  disease (12%) but  the  difference was not significant (p=0.27). no association was observed between the four polymorphisms and the presence of atopic rhinitis or atopic conjunctivitis and an elevated rate of serum ige over 200 iu/ml. additional effects of mcp-1 and its receptor ccr2 polymorphisms seem to be involved in disease susceptibility to  asthma in tunisian patients; nevertheless they could be protective against its severe forms.