The study aimed to assess the link between the Gln27Glu polymorphism of the ?2-adrenoceptor (AR) gene and the severity of asthma course depending on the age of onset.
Methods. 553 asthma patients and 95 healthy individuals were examined. Asthma was diagnosed in
accordance with GINA recommendations. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the age of
asthma onset: Group I - 282 patients with late-onset, and Group II - 271 patients with early onset. The
Gln27Glu polymorphism (rs1042714) was determined using the polymerase chain reaction, with the
analysis of restriction fragments. The SPSS-17 program was used for statistical analysis.
Results. Analysis of the genotypes distribution depending on the severity course showed no statistically
significant difference in patients with early (?2 = 0.58; p = 0.75) and late-onset asthma (?2 = 1.75; p =
0.418). The odds ratio within all inheritance models did not reveal an increased odds of developing
severe early-onset asthma. Analysis of the Gln/Glu polymorphism and severe late-onset asthma showed an increased risk within the dominant (OR 3.47; CI (1.91 ? 6.42), p = 0.001), recessive (OR 2.93; CI (1.13 ? 8.55), p = 0.03) and additive (OR 2.49; CI (1.59 ? 4.04), p = 0.001) models of inheritance.
Conclusions. No differences were found in the distribution of genotypes according to the Gln27Glu polymorphism depending on the severity course in patients with early and late-onset asthma. However, the Gln27Glu polymorphism may be linked to developing the severe late-onset asthma phenotype.