CRHR1 Gene SNPs and Response to Systemic Corticosteroids in Indian Asthmatic Children During Acute Exacerbation

Abstract

Objective: To determine association of corticotrophin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs242939 (A>G) and rs242941 (G>T) with response to systemic corticosteroids in North Indian asthmatic children during acute exacerbation. Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study. Sixty-eight children aged 1 to 12 y with acute exacerbation of asthma were included in the study. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee and written informed consent was obtained from parents/guardians of recruited children. GINA guidelines 2008, were used for classification and treatment of acute exacerbation of asthma. As per the GINA guidelines 2008, children who had good response to injectable corticosteroid were classified as "Corticosteroid Responders" (CR). Rest of the children with incomplete or poor response to injectable corticosteroid were classified as "Corticosteroid Non Responders" (CNR). Results: Among 68 hospitalized children, 45 (66.17 %) children were CR whereas 23 (33.83 %) children were CNR. On analyzing as dominant model, children with one or two copies of mutant allele of SNP rs242941 had statistically significant better response to systemic corticosteroid (OR = 5.00; 95 %CI = 1.32-19.64; p 0.013) as compared to children with no mutant allele. Conclusions: Thus, CRHR1 gene SNP rs242941 polymorphism is associated with better response to systemic corticosteroid during acute exacerbation of asthma.