Association of surfactant protein A polymorphisms with otitis media in infants at risk for asthma

BMC Med Genet. 2006 Aug 2:7:68. doi: 10.1186/1471-2350-7-68.

Abstract

Background: Otitis media is one of the most common infections of early childhood. Surfactant protein A functions as part of the innate immune response, which plays an important role in preventing infections early in life. This prospective study utilized a candidate gene approach to evaluate the association between polymorphisms in loci encoding SP-A and risk of otitis media during the first year of life among a cohort of infants at risk for developing asthma.

Methods: Between September 1996 and December 1998, women were invited to participate if they had at least one other child with physician-diagnosed asthma. Each mother was given a standardized questionnaire within 4 months of her infant's birth. Infant respiratory symptoms were collected during quarterly telephone interviews at 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Genotyping was done on 355 infants for whom whole blood and complete otitis media data were available.

Results: Polymorphisms at codons 19, 62, and 133 in SP-A1, and 223 in SP-A2 were associated with race/ethnicity. In logistic regression models incorporating estimates of uncertainty in haplotype assignment, the 6A4/1A5haplotype was protective for otitis media among white infants in our study population (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.07,0.73).

Conclusion: These results indicate that polymorphisms within SP-A loci may be associated with otitis media in white infants. Larger confirmatory studies in all ethnic groups are warranted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Asthma / complications*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Haplotypes
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Otitis Media / complications
  • Otitis Media / ethnology
  • Otitis Media / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / genetics*
  • Risk
  • White People / genetics

Substances

  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A