Genetic variations in the Wnt signaling pathway affect lung function in asthma patients

Identifying genetic determinants for lung function is important in providing insight into the pathophysiology of asthma. The Wnt signal pathway plays a role in lung development and in asthma pathogenesis. However, whether genetic polymorphisms of Wnt signal pathway are associated with lung function in asthma patients remain unclear. We genotyped 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs2929973 and rs6581612) involved in the Wnt signal pathway in a cohort of 560 Chinese Han asthmatic children. Associations between each SNP and lung function, in a baseline exam, were tested using multiple linear regression models. We found that rs2929973 of the WISP1 gene was significantly associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), with the G allele conferring significantly lower FEV1 values. However, the rs6581612 SNP of the WIF1 gene was not associated with differences in FEV1 values. We conclude that genetic variants in Wnt are associated with lung function and suggest that Wnt participates in inflammatory pathways that have an impact on the level of lung function.