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Association of 24 bp Duplication of Human CHIT1 Gene with Asthma in a Heterozygous Population of North India: A Case–Control Study

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Abstract

Purpose

CHIT1 is expressed by pulmonary macrophages, which is typically the site of entry for many environmental fungi that may increase the risk of pulmonary fungal infection and lead to hypersensitivity. The conserved expression of this gene in humans suggests its physiological importance in the mammalian lung.

Methods

The present study was conducted with a total of 964 subjects, including 483 healthy controls and 481 asthma patients. DNA samples were extracted from blood, and the genotyping was done using polymerase chain reaction method.

Results

Statistical analysis revealed that the 24 bp duplication in CHIT1 gene polymorphism shows highly significant association in heterozygous (wild/dup) genotype with OR 1.74, 95 % CI (1.29–2.36), and p = 0.000. However, the homozygous mutant genotype (dup/dup) was found to be non-significant with OR 1.06, 95 % CI (0.69–1.63), and p = 0.786. The combination of both wild/dup and dup/dup was also found to be highly significant with OR 1.57, 95 % CI (1.18–2.11), and p = 0.002.

Conclusions

This is the first study conducted in India which reports a significant association between 24 bp duplication in CHIT1 gene polymorphism and asthma in the studied North Indian population.

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Acknowledgment

J. Singh is highly grateful to the Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi under the Ministry of Science & Technology, India, for providing research Grant (SR/FT/LS-018/2008) for the study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

    Shweta Sinha, Jagtar Singh, Niti Birbian & Neha Singla

  2. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    Surinder Kumar Jindal

Authors
  1. Shweta Sinha
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  2. Jagtar Singh
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  3. Surinder Kumar Jindal
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  4. Niti Birbian
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  5. Neha Singla
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Correspondence to Jagtar Singh.

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Sinha, S., Singh, J., Jindal, S.K. et al. Association of 24 bp Duplication of Human CHIT1 Gene with Asthma in a Heterozygous Population of North India: A Case–Control Study. Lung 192, 685–691 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-014-9605-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-014-9605-6

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