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NOS1 polymorphism is associated with atopy but not exhaled nitric oxide levels in healthy children
Author(s) -
Ali May,
Khoo SiewKim,
Turner Stephen,
Stick Stephen,
Le Souëf Peter,
Franklin Peter
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2003.00065.x
Subject(s) - atopy , medicine , exhaled nitric oxide , spirometry , asthma , nos1 , immunology , allergy , nitric oxide , nitric oxide synthase
Exhaled nitric oxide (FE NO ) is raised in atopy. The mechanism for this is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the number of AAT repeats in intron 20 of the NOS1 gene, recently associated with variations in FE NO in adults with asthma and cystic fibrosis, was associated with the raised FE NO in healthy atopic children. Eighty‐seven healthy children (44 girls, 42 atopic, age range 6–18 years) underwent measurements of FE NO , spirometry, airway responsiveness and skin prick testing. Genotyping was carried out to determine the number of AAT repeats. There was no association between the number of AAT repeats and FE NO in either the whole sample of healthy children (n = 87) or in the subsample of healthy atopics (n = 42). However, a greater number of atopic children had two high repeat alleles compared with non‐atopic children (33.3% vs. 13.6%, respectively, p = 0.03). This suggests that variations in the NOS1 gene may contribute to atopy without this relationship being reflected by FE NO .