THE CONTRIBUTION OF GENE POLYMORPHISM OF THE XENOBIOTIC DETOXICATION SYSTEM TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PHENOTYPES IN CHILDHOOD

The present prospective study was carried out to assess the contribution of polymorphisms of the genes that code for the enzymes of the second phase of detoxication of xenobiotics and for antioxidant enzymes of the GSTT1 glutathione-S-transferase family to the development of bronchial asthma phenotypes in childhood. The study group comprised 238 children having bronchial asthma diagnosed according to GINA criteria valid at the time of examination. The children were categorized into groups according to the following phenotypes: atopic asthma (AA, 128 subjects), asthma associated with limited allergic lesions of the respiratory tract in children whose parents suffered from allergies (RA_H+, 88 subjects), and the same as in the latter group but without hereditary predisposition to allergy (RA_H-, 22 subjects). It has been shown that, despite the absence of differences in the rates of homozygous deletion polymorphisms of GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes between virtually healthy people living in Saint Petersburg and bronchial asthma patients, different asthma phenotypes show significant differences between them and upon comparison of any of them with the general population. In children having asthma associated with limited allergic lesions of the respiratory tract without hereditary predisposition to allergic diseases, the key determinants of the pathogenesis of their disease are genetically determined defects in the enzymes of GSTT1 and GSTM families involved in the detoxication of xenobiotics.

bronchial asthma in children, asthma phenotypes, perinatal risk factors, passive smoking, Cesarian section, onset age