No association between atopic asthma and a coding variant of FcεR1β in a Japanese population

Susceptibility to atopic diseases is known to involve genetic factors. The Gly237 allele of a polymor-phism (Glu237Gly) of the FcεR1β gene is reportedly associated with atopic asthma in Japanese. To confirm this association, we conducted transmission disequilibrium tests in 76 families identified through atopic asthmatics. A case-control study was also carried out in atopic asth-matic subjects and non-atopic controls. The Gly237 allele was not preferentially transmitted to atopic asthma-affected offspring. Neither the Gly237 allele nor the Gly237/Gly237 + Glu237/Gly237 genotypes were significantly more prevalent in the atopic asthmatics than in the controls. This study failed to confirm a substantial role of the Gly237Glu polymorphism of the FcεR1β gene in the genetic predisposition for atopic asthma in this Japanese population.