Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.4(4) > 1059192

Kim, Yang, Jung, Pham, Choi, Ban, and Park: Association of TLR3 gene polymorphism with IgG subclass deficiency and the severity in patients with aspirin-intolerant asthma

Abstract

Purpose

Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) recognizes to viral double-stranded RNA and is involved in antiviral defenses. A probable role of TLR3 gene variants in the pathogenesis of aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA) has been suggested. AIA patients present more frequent asthma exacerbations in which respiratory viral infections could be an exacerbating factor. IgG subclass deficiency was commonly present with bronchial asthma. Based on previous findings, we investigated whether TLR3 variants could affect IgG3 subclass deficiency in AIA.

Methods

We enrolled 279 AIA patients, 403 aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA) patients, and 315 normal healthy controls (NC) in this study. TLR3 polymorphism at the promoter region -299698G>T was genotyped. The serum levels of IgG subclasses were determined by the single radial immunodiffusion method. Expressions of IgG3 and TLR3 on Epstein-Barr virus transformed-B cells isolated from asthmatic patients were evaluated by flow cytometry to investigate B-cell functions.

Results

The TLR3 -299698 T allele was significantly associated with severity and IgG3 deficiency in the AIA group (P=0.044 and P=0.010, respectively), but not in the ATA group. IgG3 expression on B cells from asthmatics with IgG3 deficiency was significantly lower compared to those without (P=0.025). There was a positive correlation between IgG3 expression levels on B cells and serum IgG3 levels (r2=0.434, P=0.002).

Conclusion

These results suggest that the TLR3 -299698G>T polymorphism may be associated with IgG3 subclass deficiency and severity in AIA.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

IgG3 expression in the Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B-cell lines isolated from asthmatic patients. (A) IgG3 surface expression on B cells. (B) Correlation between IgG3 expression levels on B cells and IgG3 serum levels. P-values were determined using the independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient. The deficiency group included asthmatic patients who had at least one IgG subclass deficiencies; the normal control group included asthmatic patients who did not have any IgG subclass deficiency.

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Table 1

Clinical characteristics of the study subjects

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Characteristic AIA (n=279) ATA (n=403) NC (n=315) P-value
AIA vs. ATA AIA vs. NC ATA vs. NC
Age (yr) 44.5 ± 13.3 45.1 ± 14.3 31.8 ± 12.1 0.606 < 0.001 < 0.001
Male sex 95 (34.1) 165 (40.9) 137 (43.5) 0.088 0.025 0.492
Atopy, positive 139/255 (54.5) 194/320 (60.6) 29/207 (14.0) 0.194 < 0.001 < 0.001
Serum total IgE (IU/mL) 359.7 ± 560.5 370.9 ± 724.7 93.2 ± 157.1 0.846 < 0.001 < 0.001
Blood eosinophil count (/µL) 408.7 ± 397.5 472.39 ± 1085 NA 0.438 NA NA
Sputum eosinophil count (range, 0%–100%) 25.2 ± 36.8 21.8 ± 33.2 NA 0.467 NA NA
Sputum neutrophil count (range, 0%–100%) 56.9 ± 35.1 56.5 ± 33.4 NA 0.946 NA NA
PC20 methacholine (mg/mL) 8.1 ± 18.1 10.4 ± 17.5 NA 0.223 NA NA
FEV1 (%) 81.1 ± 25.1 86.1 ± 22.4 97.8 ± 7.1 0.020 < 0.001 < 0.001
Severe asthma (%) 34/163 (20.9) 35/302 (11.6) NA 0.022 NA NA
Chronic rhinosinusitis (LM score, 3–4) 64/90 (71.1) 20/46 (43.5) NA 0.002 NA NA
IgG subclass deficiency (%) 17 (6.1) 21 (5.2) NA 0.621 NA NA

NAValues are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).

AIA, aspirin-intolerant asthma; ATA, aspirin-tolerant asthma; NC, normal control; ECP, eosinophil cationic protein; PC20, provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; LM score, Lund-Mackay computed tomography score; IgG subclass deficiency, asthmatic patients who had at least one of IgG subclass deficiencies; NA, not applicable.

P-values were determined using Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables and the independent t-test for continuous variables.

Table 2

Distribution of immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency

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IgG subclass deficiency AIA (n = 279) ATA (n = 403)
IgG1 2 (0.71) 2 (0.50)
IgG2 3 (1.08) 1 (0.25)
IgG3 14 (5.02) 20 (4.96)
IgG4 0 (0) 1 (0.25)

IgG subclass deficiency was defined if the patient's immunoglobulin levels below the normal range as described in the Method section.

AIA, aspirin-intolerant asthma; ATA, aspirin-tolerant asthma.

Table 3

Clinical characteristics of asthma patients with IgG subclass deficiency

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Characteristic AIA P-value ATA P-value
Deficiency (n = 17) Normal (n = 262) Deficiency (n=21) Normal (n=382)
Age (yr) 44.4 ± 14.3 45.1 ± 14.0 0.832 45.1 ± 14.0 42.6 ± 14.2 0.424
Female sex 10 (58.8) 169 (66.0) 0.546 18 (85.7) 220 (57.6) 0.001
Atopy, positive 10 (58.8) 129 (54.2) 0.907 12 (60.0) 182 (60.7) 0.953
Serum total IgE (IU/mL) 537.2 ± 730.2 345.1 ± 543.9 0.303 269.9 ± 353.3 382.5 ± 755.1 0.701
Blood eosinophil count (/µL) 460.7 ± 328.2 405.4 ± 405.4 0.583 457.1 ± 435.7 473.4 ± 1,114 0.951
ECP (µg/mL) 28.2 ± 18.9 31.7 ± 39.1 0.325 31.6 ± 32.6 33.8 ± 41.0 0.853
Sputum eosinophil count (range, 0%–100%) 34.4 ± 39.3 24.1 ± 36.5 0.325 21.0 ± 36.9 21.9 ± 31.0 0.942
Sputum neutrophil count (range, 0%–100%) 67.0 ± 24.5 56.2 ± 35.7 0.349 58.8 ± 37.0 56.8 ± 33.4 0.858
Severe asthma 4/11 (36.4) 30/152 (19.2) 0.190 3/18 (16.7) 32/284 (11.3) 0.764
Chronic rhinosinusitits (LM score, 3–4) 9/13 (69.2) 55/77 (71.4) 0.872 4/10 (40.0) 16 /36 (44.4) 0.802

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).

AIA, aspirin-intolerant asthma; ATA, aspirin-tolerant asthma; ECP, eosinophil cationic protein; LM score, Lund-Mackay computed tomography score.

Deficiency group included the asthma patients who had at least one IgG subclass deficiency. Normal group included the asthma patients who did not have any IgG subclass deficiency.

P-values were determined using Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables and the independent t-test for continuous variables.

Table 4

Genotype frequency of TLR3 -299698G>T

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Genotype AIA (n=279) ATA (n=403) NC (n=315) P-value
AIA vs. ATA AIA vs. NC ATA vs. NC
GG 174 (62.4) 220 (54.6) 179 (56.8) 0.091 0.340 0.393
GT 91 (32.6) 163 (40.4) 113 (35.9) 0.785 0.345 0.212
TT 14 (5.0) 20 (5.0) 23 (7.3) 0.066 0.308 0.122
q 0.213 0.252 0.252 0.099 0.119 0.990

Values are presented as number (%).

AIA, aspirin-intolerant asthma; ATA, aspirin-tolerant asthma; NC, normal control; q, minor allele frequency.

Each P-value was calculated with codominant, dominant, and recessive models. Logistic regression analysis was applied to control for age and genders as covariables.

Table 5

Association of immunoglobulin G3 deficiency as well as severe asthma according to the genotype of TLR3 -299698 G>T in AIA group

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TLR3-299698G>T IgG3 Severity
Deficiency (n=14) Normal (n=265) Severe (n=34) Nonsevere (n=129)
GG (%) 4 (2.3) 170 (97.7) 16 (47.1) 87 (67.4)
GT+TT (%) 10 (9.5) 95 (90.5) 18 (52.9) 42 (32.6)
P-value 0.010 0.044

Normal group included the AIA patients who did not have IgG3 deficiency. P-values were obtained by Fisher exact test.

AIA, aspirin-intolerant asthma.

Notes

This research was supported by grants of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant number: HI14C2628, HI16C0992).

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