Genetic variants of the IL13 and IL4 genes and atopic diseases in at-risk children

We studied a cohort containing 368 children at high risk of developing atopy and atopic disorders and 540 parents of those children to investigate whether the IL13 Arg130Gln and C−1112 T polymorphisms were associated with these outcomes. We also investigated whether haplotypes consisting of any two polymorphisms of IL13 Arg130Gln, IL13 C−1112 T and IL4 C−589 T were associated with these phenotypes. In 288 white children, the IL13 130Gln allele was associated with atopy (RR=1.9, P =0.047), and with atopic dermatitis (RR=2.5, P =0.014). The associations were confirmed using a family-based test of association ( P =0.027 and 0.030, respectively) in all subjects. In white subjects there were associations of haplotypes consisting of IL13 Arg130Gln and IL4 C−589 T with atopic dermatitis ( P =0.006) and with atopy ( P =0.009). Our data suggest that the IL13 Arg130Gln polymorphism and haplotypes consisting of IL13 Arg130Gln and IL4 C−589 T were associated with the development of atopy and atopic dermatitis at 24 months of age.