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Whole genome scan analyses have revealed that chromosomal region 3p21-24, which contains a gene cluster of CC chemokine receptors such as CCR3, is possibly linked to asthma. Because CCR3 ligands play a pivotal role in the selective recruitment and activation of in¯ammatory cells in the asthmatic airway, the authors examined whether there is any association between asthma and the CCR3 gene polymorphisms.Three polymorphisms were identi®ed using the single stranded conformational polymorphism method in Japanese (Asian) and British (Caucasian) subjects; one silent mutation T51C and two missense mutations G824A and T971C. These polymorphisms were examined in 391 Japanese subjects (210 asthmatics and 181 nonasthmatic controls) and 234 British subjects (142 asthmatics and 92 nonasthmatic controls). Asthma diagnosis was based on episodic symptoms, documented wheeze, and the presence of reversible air¯ow limitation.CCR3 T51C demonstrated a signi®cant association with the diagnosis of asthma in the British population (odds ratio 2.35, pv0.01), but not in the Japanese population. Multiple logistic regression analysis also showed that CCR3 T51C was associated with asthma (odds ratio 2.83, pv0.02), independent of atopic phenotypes such as high levels of total or house dust mite-speci®c immunoglobulin-E in serum.In conclusion, a signi®cant association between asthma and CCR3 T51C polymorphism localized on chromosome 3p21 was found.

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