Background and objective: Recent genome-wide association studies have shown associations between variants at five loci (TNS1, GSTCD, HTR4, AGER and THSD4) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung function. However, their association with COPD has not been proven in Chinese Han population, nor have COPD-related phenotypes been studied. The objective of this study was to look for associations between five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in these novel candidate genes and COPD susceptibility or lung function in a Chinese Han population.
Methods: Allele and genotype data on 680 COPD patients and 687 healthy controls for sentinel SNP in these five loci were investigated. Allele frequencies and genotype distributions were compared between cases and controls, and odds ratios were calculated. Potential relationships between these SNP and COPD-related lung function were assessed.
Results: No significant associations were found between any of the SNP and COPD in cases and controls. The SNP (rs3995090) in HTR4 was associated with COPD (adjusted P = 0.022) in never-smokers, and the SNP (rs2070600) in AGER was associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 %) predicted (β = -0.066, adjusted P = 0.016) and FEV1 /forced vital capacity (β = -0.071, adjusted P = 0.009) in all subjects.
Conclusions: The variant at HTR4 was associated with COPD in never-smokers, and the SNP in AGER was associated with pulmonary function in a Chinese Han population.
Keywords: AGER; HTR4; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; pulmonary function; single-nucleotide polymorphism.
© 2013 The Authors. Respirology © 2013 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.