Identifying the polymorphisms in the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TSLPR) and their association with asthma.

The present study aimed to investigate whether the polymorphisms in the TSLPR gene are associated with atopic and asthmatic disease in the Korean population. We identified eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two variation sites in the TSLPR gene, including the promoter region. The genotype and allele frequencies of g.33G>C of the TSLPR gene in asthma patients were significantly different from the respective frequencies of the control group (P =0.006 and 0.003, respectively). Our additional analysis showed that the genotype and allele frequencies of the g.33G>C and g.19646A>G of the TSLPR gene were significantly associated in the atopic asthma patients rather than in the non-atopic asthma patients (genotype frequencies; P =0.0001 and 0.0003 respectively, allele frequencies; P =0.0005 and 0.0001 in that order). Our results suggest that the SNPs of the TSLPR gene could be associated with the susceptibility to atopic asthma in the Korean population.