ORMDL3 variants associated with bronchiolitis susceptibility in a Chinese population

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Pediatrics
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Common genetic factors link viral bronchiolitis and asthma.
• Genome-wide association studies identified the ORMDL3 gene (rs7216389) as a risk factor for childhood asthma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between ORMDL3 gene polymorphisms (rs7216389, rs12603332, rs11650680) and susceptibility to infant bronchiolitis.
• To explore the relationship between these polymorphisms and viral findings or disease severity in bronchiolitis patients.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 247 infant bronchiolitis cases and 190 healthy controls.
• Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
• Detection of respiratory viruses via multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Main Results:

• The genotype and allele frequencies of rs7216389 significantly differed between bronchiolitis cases and controls.
• Higher frequencies of the TT homozygote and T allele of rs7216389 were observed in bronchiolitis patients (P = 0.0325 and P = 0.0089, respectively).
• No significant associations were found between ORMDL3 polymorphisms and bronchiolitis severity or specific viral infections.

Conclusions:

• The ORMDL3 gene, particularly the rs7216389 polymorphism, is associated with bronchiolitis risk in Chinese children.
• The TT homozygote and T allele of rs7216389 increase the risk of developing bronchiolitis.
• The rs7216389 polymorphism may serve as a predictive marker for identifying infants at risk for persistent asthma following virus-induced wheezing.