Gene Mutation May Make Some People More Prone to Asthma

People with asthma appear to have subtle differences in a gene that encodes a protein responsible for deciding whether particular immune cells live or die, new research reveals.

A Johns Hopkins team examined the gene controlling the protein -- known as Siglec-8 -- by analyzing DNA samples taken from nearly 1,000 adults and children, half of whom had asthma and have of whom did not.

All the samples were taken from African-American individuals who had participated in a group of U.S. National Institute of Health studies called the Genomic Research on Asthma in the African Diaspora.

The team found that a single genetic code mutation in Siglec-8 -- an abnormality called rs36498 -- appears to be linked to a higher risk for asthma.

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