Objectives/hypothesis: RANTES is one of the most widely studied of the chemokines linked to allergic diseases. Two polymorphisms of the RANTES promoter region (-403 G/A and -28 C/G) have been found. The authors investigated whether these RANTES promoter polymorphisms were associated with allergic rhinitis.
Study design: Case-control study.
Methods: Blood samples for genetic analysis were obtained from 151 individuals with allergic rhinitis and from 278 healthy individuals without atopic disease. Polymerase chain reaction-based assays for detection of the -403 G/A and -28 C/G polymorphisms of the RANTES gene were used for genotyping.
Results: The frequencies of both the RANTES -403A and -28G alleles were significantly higher in patients with allergic rhinitis than in control subjects (P <.05 for both).
Conclusion: The study results indicated that the -403 and -28 alleles in the RANTES promoter region belong to the predictor gene set for allergic rhinitis and could be used in genomic analysis.